Global Uncertainty: Thousands of USAID employees face upheaval as contracts are terminated, operations frozen, and directives issued for staff to evacuate foreign posts.
BY PC Bureau
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced Tuesday night that its global staff will be placed on administrative leave starting Friday, with directives for many to return to the United States.
Effective 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, “all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally,” the agency’s website stated, “except for personnel handling mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs.” The statement, posted after the website resumed operation following a blackout last week, outlined plans to arrange and cover return travel for personnel outside the U.S. within 30 days. It also mentioned the termination of non-essential contracts.
Direct hires, defined as government officials directly employed by the U.S. government, make up a portion of USAID’s workforce. Many contractors, who represent a significant part of the agency, have already been furloughed or laid off. Essential personnel will be notified by Thursday afternoon if they are expected to continue working.
The statement concluded with a brief message: “Thank you for your service.”
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This directive follows moves by the Trump administration to dismantle the agency and freeze nearly all foreign aid, signaling intentions to eliminate USAID as an independent body.
However, the President does not have the legal authority to “abolish, move, or consolidate USAID” without congressional authorization, as confirmed by a recent Congressional Research Service report.
On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would serve as acting administrator of USAID, effectively placing the agency under the control of the State Department.
🚨BREAKING: ALL USAID direct hires are being placed on leave globally starting Friday at 11:59pm ET, per the agency’s website.
Elon and Trump are wasting NO TIME gutting this leftist slush fund for corruption and self enrichment and the Democrat tears are a… pic.twitter.com/BWDQnoc9UX
— Andre Nuta 🇺🇲 (@andre_nuta) February 5, 2025
In the past few days, dozens of senior officials have been placed on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and employees instructed not to report to the agency’s Washington headquarters.
CNN reported Tuesday that individual emails were sent to staff notifying them of their leave status. The notice, signed by acting deputy administrator Peter Marocco, stated, “You will remain on administrative leave with pay until otherwise notified.”
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Employees were prohibited from entering USAID premises, accessing its systems, or using their positions without prior permission. Marocco also instructed staff to provide their personal contact information to remain reachable during business hours. However, one employee reported receiving a bounce-back response, indicating that even the designated point of contact was on leave.
The abrupt directive has left many staff members in shock. “People are hysterical. My friends are crying. We don’t know what’s going on,” said a USAID official who was placed on leave. They expressed concerns for colleagues posted abroad with children in school or spouses with jobs, now facing sudden upheaval.
When questioned by a reporter about the agency’s status on Tuesday, President Donald Trump laughed and said, “Sounds like it.” He further claimed, without evidence, that Elon Musk, head of the Department of Governmental Efficiency, had uncovered widespread fraud within USAID.
“Look at all the fraud he’s found,” Trump said. “It has to be corrupt.”
