A US federal judge has blocked billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from shutting down the US Agency for International Development (USAID), saying the move could be unconstitutional.
In a preliminary ruling issued on March 18, US federal judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered Elon Musk, a key adviser to President Donald Trump, and the agency he leads to restore access to USAID's computer systems for the agency's direct and contract employees, including thousands who have been furloughed, according to Reuters.
A protester supporting USAID in Boston in February.
The decision comes after a lawsuit from current and former USAID employees, one of several pending lawsuits related to the rapid closure of the main U.S. humanitarian aid agency.
“Today’s decision is a significant victory against Elon Musk and his DOGE attack on USAID, the U.S. government, and the Constitution,” said Norm Eisen, executive chairman of the Foundation for Defense of State Democracy, an attorney representing 26 anonymous plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
President Trump told Fox News that his administration would appeal the ruling. "I guarantee you we will appeal. We have rogue judges who are destroying our country," Trump said.
On his first day back in the White House, President Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on all US foreign aid and a review of whether aid programs are consistent with his administration's policies.
Soon after, Mr. Musk and DOGE gained access to USAID’s email and payment systems, froze many of the agency’s payments, and notified most employees that they would be furloughed. On February 3, Mr. Musk wrote on social media platform X that he had “spent the weekend putting USAID through the wood chipper.”
In the Feb. 13 lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that Mr. Musk took control of USAID and effectively acted as a U.S. official, violating the constitutional requirement that officials with such authority be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
They argue that Mr. Musk and DOGE have overstepped the authority of the executive branch, undermining an agency created by Congress in 1961. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had canceled 83% of USAID programs.
Judge Chuang agreed that Mr. Musk and DOGE “may have violated the U.S. Constitution in multiple ways, and these actions have harmed not only the plaintiffs but also the public interest.”
Mr. Musk and DOGE argued in court filings that Mr. Musk’s role was solely that of an adviser to President Trump, and that USAID officials, not DOGE, were responsible for the actions the plaintiffs complained about. Judge Chuang found that Mr. Musk and DOGE had de facto direct control over the agency.
In addition to ordering the employee's computer access restored, Mr. Chuang also prohibited the defendant from disclosing any sensitive employee information.
Mr. Chuang did not prohibit the mass firing of USAID contractors and employees. He argued that while these firings may have violated the constitution, they were approved by government officials who were not named in the lawsuit.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tham-phan-my-ngan-ti-phu-elon-musk-dong-cua-usaid-185250319085643814.htm
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