U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ordered Musk and his Department of
Government Efficiency to immediately give USAID employees access to
their "email, payment, security notification, and all other electronic
systems," and ordered a pause on any efforts to shut down USAID.
![Update] Elon Musk shuts down USAID, calls it a 'ball of worms'](https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/bsWRxsB1eg2tSt9SWrzggg--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD01MDQ7cT05NTt3PTg5NjthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/thedailybeast.com/8028121657517b290e3fdbb7078353ba.cf.webp)
Judge says dismantling of USAID was unconstitutional, orders Musk to restore access for employees
The judge ordered a pause on any efforts to shut down USAID.
March 18, 2025, 12:33 PM
Elon Musk's attempt to unilaterally dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the United States Constitution, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.
Judge Chuang wrote
that Musk's takeover "usurped the authority of the public's elected
representatives in Congress to make decisions on whether, when, and how
to eliminate a federal government agency, and of Officers of the United
States duly appointed under the Constitution to exercise the authority
entrusted to them."
- While Judge Chuang rebuked Musk's role within the Trump administration, the exact implications of the decision on the operations of USAID are unclear.
DOGE and Musk were
also ordered to submit a written agreement within two weeks that
ensures USAID can reoccupy its former headquarters in the Ronald Reagan
Building in Washington, D.C.
The foreign aid agency was among the first government agencies DOGE slashed in its effort to scale back or dismantle much of the federal government. The Trump administration has laid off thousands of employees, revoked funding for more than 80% of its programs, and shed its Washington, D.C. headquarters.
Critics of the Trump administration say its efforts to nullify the agency will cripple American influence overseas and carry devastating effects for some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, which relied on U.S. funding for health care, food, and other basic needs.
Judge rules DOGE's dismantling of USAID likely unconstitutional, blocks further cuts | FOX 10 Phoenix
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