A US judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt its plan to furlough about 2,200 USAID employees, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Earlier, two employees filed a lawsuit claiming the Trump administration had no authority to take such a move.
The court order halting the furloughs is temporary and will remain in effect while the legal dispute is resolved.
Earlier this week, the White House announced that all "directly employed employees" working for the agency worldwide would be placed on "administrative leave" from Friday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (06:59 Bulgarian Time). An exception was only envisaged for employees who hold critical positions. According to reports in some American media, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has estimated that the exception applies to 300 employees.
The agency employs about 10,000 people, two-thirds of whom perform their official duties abroad. Not all of them are directly employed by the USAID, as there are also local contractors.
Trump has already frozen the agency's funds pending an internal review, which has affected numerous initiatives around the world.
The USAID is one of the largest aid organizations in the world and is responsible for distributing a significant portion of the US government's humanitarian supplies to developing countries and countries experiencing crises, DPA notes.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the agency is run by "crazy radicals" who are trying to hinder his "America First" foreign policy agenda.
Court blocks Trump's plan to furlough 2,200 USAID employees
Two USAID employees previously filed a lawsuit claiming the government had no authority to take such a move
Feb 8, 2025 04:48 80