Unions sue Trump administration over USAID agency cuts

The Trump administration has said USAID is wasting money and needs to align with the president’s policy priorities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has added that the US is “not walking away from foreign aid”.

Thursday’s lawsuit was filed by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). It is the first legal action related to Trump’s measures to cut USAID.

In addition to Trump, the lawsuit takes aim at the US state department, USAID, the treasury department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The lawsuit argues that the president is violating the Constitution and federal law in attempting to dismantle the agency.

“Not a single one of defendants’ actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization,” the lawsuit says.

“And pursuant to federal statute, Congress is the only entity that may lawfully dismantle the agency.”

It calls for an independent acting director of USAID to be appointed, for USAID buildings to be reopened to employees, for the USAID website to be restored, for grants and contracts to be reinstated, and for mandatory evacuation notices to staff to be lifted.

It asks for a judge to immediately halt the implementation of the plan to “gut” USAID, which the lawsuit notes has been spearheaded by Elon Musk, due to the urgent need to resume to aid programmes.

“These actions have generated a global humanitarian crisis by abruptly halting the crucial work of USAID employees, grantees, and contractors. They have cost thousands of American jobs. And they have imperiled US national security interests,” the lawsuit says.

It comes as thousands of USAID workers expect to be put on administrative leave from Friday night.

On Wednesday, Rubio defended Trump’s moves against USAID, telling about 200 agency workers in Guatemala that the US does not plan to stop distributing aid to foreign countries. But he said that the programmes must align with US priorities.

“The United States is not walking away from foreign aid. It’s not. We’re going to continue to provide foreign aid and to be involved in programmes, but it has to be programmes that we can defend,” Rubio said according to a transcript obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

“It has to be programmes that we can explain. It has to be programmes that we can justify. Otherwise, we do endanger foreign aid.”