US court blocks cuts to USAID, says Musk's DOGE likely violated Constitution

A U.S. federal court has barred further cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ruling that its dismantling by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the U.S. Constitution, the Associated Press reported on March 19.

The move follows the Trump administration's termination of 83% of USAID's foreign aid contracts while most of the agency's staff members have been laid off or placed on administrative leave.

The dismantling of USAID had broad implications, particularly for Ukraine, where the agency has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and over $30 billion in direct budget support since Russia's full-scale invasion began.

The court order requires the Trump administration to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave. The move does not reinstate the agency in full or reverse staff firings.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland rejected the administration's claim that Musk, the world's richest man and DOGE chief, is merely an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Chuang pointed to Musk's public statements and social media activity as evidence of his control over DOGE, citing a post in which Musk wrote that he had "fed USAID into the wood chipper."

Musk, a close Trump ally, has aggressively pushed to dismantle USAID, slashing staff and publicly attacking the agency's work. The ruling states that USAID is likely unable to perform its legally mandated functions due to these actions.

"Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated," Chuang wrote in the preliminary injunction.

The lawsuit, filed by USAID employees and contractors, argues that Musk and DOGE exercise powers reserved by the Constitution for elected officials or Senate-confirmed appointees. Their attorneys said the ruling "effectively halts or reverses" many steps taken to shut down the agency.

Judge Chuang also ruled that Musk's actions likely harmed the public interest by stripping Congress of its constitutional authority to determine whether, when, and how to close a government agency.

The Trump administration's broader effort to curtail foreign aid has drawn criticism from health officials and humanitarian groups, who warn that such cuts will worsen global crises.