Washington — A federal judge ruled on Wednesday against blocking the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from taking control of the U.S. Institute of Peace as a legal challenge to President Trump’s actions targeting the nonprofit organization continues.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell quickly began to explore the possibility of reversing the removal of several board members shortly after they received an email from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office notifying them of their termination. Additionally, she was requested to prevent DOGE staff from accessing the Institute of Peace facilities.
Judge Howell, who presides over the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., held a hearing on Wednesday afternoon after five of the dismissed board members—Ambassador John Sullivan, Judy Ansley, Joseph Falk, Kerry Kennedy, and Mary Swig—filed a lawsuit on Tuesday asserting their firings constituted an “unlawful assault” on the Institute of Peace, which was established by Congress in 1984.
Alongside the board members, the institute’s president, George Moose, was also terminated by ex officio board members, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Vice Admiral Peter Garvin. Kenneth Jackson was subsequently appointed as the acting president of the Institute of Peace.
Judge Howell stated that “none of the requirements for the removal of a board member were met” in this instance, adding that even if she were to restore them, their authority during any reinstated period would be “very limited” due to the president’s control over the agency.
In rejecting the former board members’ plea for relief, Howell acknowledged that it is “undisputed” their removal did not comply with federal law, yet they failed to meet the necessary criteria for a temporary restraining order.
Nevertheless, Howell criticized DOGE and the Trump administration officials for their treatment of Institute of Peace employees, including Moose.
“I am very offended by how DOGE has operated at the institute and treated American citizens who were trying to perform their duties,” she remarked.
The conflict over the Institute of Peace became public earlier this week when DOGE team members attempted to access the organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The institute stated in a Saturday release that several DOGE members arrived at its building “unannounced” on Friday, accompanied by two FBI agents.
The officials were met by the institute’s outside counsel, George Foote, who informed them of the organization’s “private and independent status as a non-executive branch agency,” as detailed in the statement. Subsequently, DOGE representatives left the premises, according to the agency’s account.
However, on Monday, Moose, the institute’s ousted president, asserted in a statement that DOGE had “broken” into the building with the assistance of an employee from the Institute of Peace’s previous security contractor, Inter-Con Security Systems, as per court documents.
Foote warned the Inter-Con employees that they were trespassing and contacted the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department to report their entry, according to the filings.
The board members claimed in their lawsuit that Inter-Con and DOGE personnel “engaged in additional attempts to unlawfully access the USIP headquarters building but were ultimately able to enter, forcibly occupy it, and expel duly appointed USIP President, other USIP personnel, and outside counsel.”
The board members requested Howell to issue a temporary restraining order preventing Jackson, Trump administration officials, and DOGE employees from accessing the Institute of Peace’s facilities, computer systems, or records. They also sought a ruling declaring their removal unlawful and void, along with a halt to their firing.
During the Wednesday hearing, Howell frequently voiced her disapproval of the presence of law enforcement alongside DOGE staff.
“The defendants wasted no time in bringing in armed law enforcement to assist them,” she remarked regarding the alleged building takeover.
She reiterated her offense on behalf of American citizens who have greatly served the country, stating they deserved better treatment.
During a discussion with a Justice Department lawyer, Howell questioned whether Mr. Trump could have approached the GOP-led Congress to request changes to the law establishing the Institute of Peace, or utilized his appointment powers to remove and replace members of the board “rather than dismantling the institute” with police force.
She inquired about lawful means to address the Institute of Peace “without employing armed force and threats from DOGE.”
The Institute of Peace is the latest organization facing scrutiny from the Trump administration and DOGE as part of the president’s initiative to reduce the federal government’s size. Numerous such actions have since been challenged in federal courts as unlawful.
