On Friday, the Trump administration unveiled its strategy to place the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.), the primary agency responsible for foreign aid distribution, entirely under the State Department, while cutting its workforce down to approximately 15 positions.
An email directed at U.S.A.I.D. employees, titled “U.S.A.I.D.’s Final Mission” and dispatched shortly after noon, outlined a de facto elimination that had long been anticipated. This communication was met with objections from lawmakers who contended that the agency downsizing was unlawful, as well as from staff members and unions who initiated legal actions to prevent it.
Prior to the Trump administration’s review and cancellation of foreign aid contracts shortly after President Trump’s return to office, the agency employed around 10,000 individuals. According to the email, by September 2, “the agency’s operations will have been significantly transferred to the State or otherwise wound down.”
These reductions align with the administration’s goal of utilizing foreign aid as a mechanism to advance its diplomatic objectives. This month, U.S.A.I.D. fund recipients were solicited to justify their contributions to the administration through questionnaires that inquired whether their programs assisted in reducing illegal immigration or securing rare earth minerals.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his support for the upcoming cuts.
“This reorientation of our foreign assistance programs is meant to directly reflect what is beneficial for the United States and our citizens,” he stated, labeling U.S.A.I.D. in its prior form as “misguided and fiscally irresponsible.”
He assured that “essential lifesaving programs” would be preserved under the State Department. However, in plans shared with Congress, it was indicated that the U.S.A.I.D. programs being terminated included funding for vaccines for children in impoverished nations, as well as some funds for malaria prevention.
The email sent to employees, authored by Jeremy Lewin, who is part of the Department of Government Efficiency and recently appointed as one of two acting deputy administrators for U.S.A.I.D., stated that all nonstatutory employees would receive notifications of separation effective either July 1 or September 2. Nevertheless, some employees reported receiving different exit dates on Friday, including one Foreign Service officer informed they must leave their post by the end of May.
According to Title 5 of the U.S. Code, only 15 specific positions at U.S.A.I.D. are named: one administrator, one deputy administrator, six assistant administrators, four regional assistant administrators, one chief information officer, one general counsel, and one inspector general. At its height, the agency employed around 10,000 individuals, including contractors, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Employees facing termination will have the opportunity to apply for rehire with the State Department, as stated in the email, although the process for this has yet to be outlined. For those stationed overseas, the email assured “safe and fully compensated” return packages back to the U.S. Moreover, employees overseas were informed they had 72 hours to select their preferred departure date.
The email reached all U.S.A.I.D. employees, including those actively responding to the significant earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday. The message arrived around midnight local time on the devices of several U.S.A.I.D. personnel taking shelter on the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, as aftershocks persisted.
Shortly after the email distribution, formal reduction in force notifications were issued to employees. One notice shared with The New York Times stated: “The agency is abolishing your competitive area. You will be released from your competitive level and will not have a right to another position in the competitive area.”
Subsequently, employees received an email urging them “to step away and recharge,” considering the impact of the day’s news, according to a copy provided to The Times.
The layoffs represent a far more radical cut than initially projected by the Trump administration for U.S.A.I.D. In February, senior officials were informed that the workforce would be reduced to a few hundred employees. However, on Friday, even some personnel deemed essential were handed termination notices.
Though the administration informed lawmakers of its intention to pursue these cuts, Congress has not yet sanctioned the reorganization plan, which Democratic representatives have characterized as an unlawful closure of the agency.
The Trump administration notified members of the House and Senate committees that oversee foreign affairs and related budgets about the reorganization on Friday, stating that it would be finalized by July 1.
Meanwhile, several employees are raising concerns regarding the manner in which the termination notices were issued. Some have started circulating a list of “irregularities,” highlighting clerical mistakes and arguing that the notices were not disseminated following the proper reduction in force protocol.
Julianne Weis, a former senior adviser in the U.S.A.I.D. global health bureau who also received a termination letter on Friday, criticized placing someone “with zero meaningful government, foreign policy or development experience in charge of this process,” calling it disrespectful to the career staff worldwide with decades of expertise. She also noted that it poses risks to America’s global reputation, national security, and foreign policy.
An inquiry sent to U.S.A.I.D. for comment resulted in an automated reply directing all questions to the press office of the State Department.
Amy Schoenfeld Walker contributed reporting.
