Wed Feb 05 14:29:00 IST 2025: ## Trump Administration Orders Mass Leave for USAID Staff Worldwide

**WASHINGTON, D.C.** – In a dramatic move that has sparked outrage, the Trump administration has ordered thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) direct-hire staff stationed globally to return home within 30 days, leaving only essential personnel behind. This decision effectively suspends USAID’s six-decade-long international aid mission.

The order, announced Tuesday via a notice posted on the agency’s website after it was briefly taken offline, follows weeks of rumors and represents the most drastic of several proposals to consolidate USAID into the State Department. Thousands of USAID employees have already been laid off and numerous programs shuttered after President Trump instituted a sweeping freeze on foreign assistance.

The swift dismantling of the agency, overseen by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, has been met with fierce criticism from Democratic lawmakers. They point to the agency’s computer servers being removed and accuse the administration of ignoring legal protections afforded to many of the affected employees, including Foreign Service officers. Musk himself reportedly boasted on X, “Spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”

The abrupt recall is expected to cost the government tens of millions of dollars in relocation expenses. The American Foreign Service Association has condemned the decision and announced plans for legal action. Locally employed USAID staff, who lack similar protections, were excluded from a federal buyout offer, leaving them with little recourse.

The announcement came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was touring Central America, where he met with USAID and embassy staff. While Rubio praised local staff in Panama, access to similar meetings in El Salvador and Guatemala was restricted to journalists.

Democratic lawmakers argue that the actions violate existing legislation that establishes USAID as an independent agency, requiring Congressional approval for dissolution. The online notice exempted only personnel deemed critical to ongoing operations, with further details to be released by Thursday. The abrupt nature of the recall has left families scrambling to arrange travel and uproot their lives, with some even giving away pets due to the short timeframe.

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