A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration plan to dismiss roughly 2,700 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
On Friday, Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court in Washington granted some requests sought by the largest U.S. government workers’ union and an association of foreign service workers who are suing to stop the Trump administration from closing the agency.
The one-week injunction granted by Mr Nichols, nominated by Mr Trump during his first term, will prevent the government from going ahead with their plan to put 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave starting from Saturday.
He also ordered the reinstatement of 500 others who had already been furloughed.
According to Reuters, it also barred the administration from relocating USAID humanitarian workers stationed outside the United States.
Mr Nichols said in his ruling noted that the unions made a “strong showing of irreparable harm” if the court did not intervene, noting he would consider a longer-term pause on the plan after a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
However, he rejected the unions’ request to order the reopening of USAID buildings and restore funding for agency grants and contracts.
“The major reduction in force, as well as the closure of offices, the forced relocation of these individuals were all done in excess of the executive’s authority in violation of the separation of powers,” Karla Gilbride, a lawyer for the unions, said at a court hearing earlier on Friday.
