Two prominent unions representing US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) employees have filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and his administration, challenging what they perceive as an “unconstitutional and illegal” attempt to dismantle the organization.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC, on Thursday, argues that hundreds of USAID workers are at risk of losing their jobs according to major reductions orchestrated by the Trump administration, with assistance from Elon Musk, according to The Independent.
The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association allege that Trump’s actions are in violation of federal law and lack congressional approval. ” Not a single one of the administration’s actions received congressional authorization”, the lawsuit states. According to BBC, the unions are asking for a temporary restraining order to stop further job cuts and restart agency operations.
According to The Guardian, “unconstitutional and illegal actions” of the shutdown of USAID have already led to a “global humanitarian crisis.”
The agency, which provides essential aid in over 100 countries, has seen its programs, including malaria prevention, clinical trials, and HIV treatment, come to a sudden halt. The lawsuit highlights that” 300 babies that would not have had HIV, now do”, and warns of rising maternal deaths due to discontinued programs, reported The Independent.
Musk, a close ally of Trump, has publicly supported the dismantling of USAID, describing it as a” criminal organization” and stating that he wants to “feed it into the woodchipper”, as per The Guardian.
Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio defended the administration’s stance, saying,” The United States is not walking away from foreign aid”, but insisted that future programs must align with US priorities, according to BBC.
The lawsuit demands that USAID’s funding be restored, staff be reinstated, and its global offices be reopened. If successful, it could block Trump’s attempt to shut down the agency, which was established by Congress in 1998.
