Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Trump, agreed on Friday with the arguments of two civil servants’ associations that orders exposed the agency workers abroad to unjustified difficulties and risks
A federal judge temporarily blocked orders from US President Donald Trump, who would have placed thousands of United States Agency workers for International Development (USAID) on leave.
Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Trump, agreed on Friday with the arguments of two civil servants’ associations that orders exposed the agency workers abroad to unjustified difficulties and risks.
The AFSA Foreign Services Association and the Affge Federation of Public Officials argue that the US leader has no authority to end the external support agency, with a history of six decades, without the approval of Congress. Democratic deputies presented the same argument.
However, the judge declined the association’s request to temporarily block the freezing of funding by the US government.
USAID was created in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to ensure the administration of United States International Humanitarian Aid, through the organization of international projects to combat poverty, disease and respond to hunger and natural catastrophes.
The administration led by Donald Trump, who ordered the dismantling of USAID, claims that it is inefficient, unnecessarily subsidizes programs of equality and sustainability worldwide and that its workers were insubordinate to the order of suspension of humanitarian aid.
According to the Order, employees who work abroad and families would have 30 days to return to the United States.
According to The New York Times, almost all 10,000 jobs will be eliminated and only a small group of 290 workers will remain.
The agency’s headquarters, at the Ronald Reagan building, a few blocks from the White House, has been closed since Monday, February 3, after the agency workers received an email asking them to stay at home.
On Friday, the sign with the name of the agency on the facade was removed and the logo at the entrance door was covered with a garbage bag.
After these changes, there is no trace of the agency’s headquarters.
