Dozens of high-ranking officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the agency responsible for managing foreign aid, were reportedly placed on leave Monday amid an investigation into alleged noncompliance with President Donald Trump’s directives.
Politico first reported that at least 56 USAID employees have been placed on administrative leave while retaining their full pay and benefits. Additionally, several hundred contractors based in Washington and other locations were also laid off, according to statements from both current and former officials to the Associated Press. These actions follow an executive order from Trump, implemented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which suspended all U.S. foreign assistance funded by the State Department and USAID.
The 90-day suspension has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development, and security programs worldwide, forcing aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees who are unable to meet payroll obligations. According to the Associated Press, a late Monday internal USAID communication revealed that the new acting administrator, Jason Gray, had identified “several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”
“As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions,” Gray wrote. The notice did not specify which executive orders signed by Trump USAID officials allegedly violated, according to the AP. According to a former USAID official speaking to the Associated Press, those placed on leave were career employees who had served under multiple administrations, including Trump’s.
Before their removal on Monday, these officials were urgently assisting U.S.-funded aid organizations in navigating the new funding freeze and seeking waivers to sustain critical life-saving operations. Their efforts included providing clean water to war-displaced individuals in Sudan and continuing global monitoring for bird flu, the former official explained. Rubio has specifically exempted only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the foreign assistance freeze.
Trump has criticized foreign aid, advocating for a comprehensive review of U.S. aid programs to identify those that prioritize American interests and those that should be discontinued. The United States remains the world’s largest aid donor, disbursing $72 billion in assistance during fiscal year 2023. Additionally, it accounted for 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024, Fox News reported.
