In a significant ruling on Tuesday, a federal judge in Maryland decided that the attempts by billionaire Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are likely unconstitutional. Additionally, US District Judge Theodore Chuang has barred DOGE from further action to close down the aid agency.
As a result of the ruling, Chuang mandated the restoration of email and computer access for all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave. However, the decision does not reverse the layoffs at the agency.
This decision comes as a response to a legal challenge filed by current and former USAID employees, one of several lawsuits sparked by the ongoing efforts to dismantle the agency.
The judge also dismissed the position held by the administration of former US President Donald Trump that Musk was merely a counsel to the government.
Norm Eisen, executive chair of the State Democracy Defenders Fund, who represents the 26 anonymous plaintiffs in the case, hailed the decision as a significant victory against Musk’s actions aimed at USAID, the US government, and the Constitution. The plaintiffs had argued that Musk holds an excessive amount of power over USAID and that Musk and DOGE’s authorities surpass those granted by the US Constitution.
Trump, in a discussion with Fox News, announced that his administration would appeal the ruling. He referred to the judges involved as “rogue” and claimed that they were undermining the country.
In January, a set of executive orders issued by Trump included a 90-day freeze on all US foreign aid, which led Musk and DOGE to halt USAID’s operations and place employees on leave. Musk later posted on X that he had “spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
USAID plays a critical role in global health, including supporting HIV vaccine trials in South Africa, which have been affected by these cuts.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/usaid-shutdown-likely-unconstitutional-federal-judge-says/a-71968302?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
