Judge Halts Action Against USAID Over Potential Constitutional Concerns
25 March 2025 · Uncategorized ·
Source: · https://finance.technews.tw/2025/03/19/doge-usaid/
On March 18, a federal judge in Maryland blocked billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from taking further steps to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), citing that their actions might violate the Constitution.
Reuters reported that Judge Theodore Chuang issued an initial ruling ordering Musk and DOGE to restore access rights to USAID's computer systems, including thousands of furloughed employees who were previously barred from accessing these systems. This decision was in response to lawsuits filed by current and former USAID staff members; it is one among several pending legal challenges against the rapid dissolution of USAID.
Norm Eisen, executive director of State Democracy Defenders Fund and attorney for 26 anonymous plaintiffs involved in this case stated: "Today's ruling marks a significant victory over Musk’s assault on USAID, the U.S. government, and our Constitution."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded by saying that “a renegade judge is now trying to overturn the will of American people who elected President Trump,” adding that they would appeal against this decision.
President Donald Trump had ordered all foreign aid programs frozen for 90 days on his first day in office. Soon after, Musk and DOGE entered USAID’s payment systems and froze many payments while informing numerous employees about their furloughs. On February 3rd, Musk tweeted that he was “spending the weekend putting USAID through a wood chipper.”
The plaintiffs argued in court filings on February 13th that by taking control of USAID operations, Musk had acted as if he were an appointed government official without going through proper constitutional channels.
Judge Theodore Chuang agreed with this argument and ruled that both Musk’s actions and those of DOGE “may have violated the Constitution in multiple ways,” harming not only plaintiffs but also public interests.
Musk's defense team argued that his role was strictly advisory to Trump, while actual responsibility for any violations should lie solely on institutional officials rather than DOGE itself; however, Judge Chuang ruled against this claim.
In addition to restoring employee access rights, the judge ordered a halt in disclosing sensitive information about employees as well. However, he did not prevent large-scale terminations of USAID contracts and personnel which have already led to significant disruptions globally for humanitarian aid operations.
Judge Amir Ali from Washington D.C., meanwhile, had previously ruled that payments must be made immediately on past work by contractors involved with USAID but stopped short of ordering the restoration of all contracts. The Trump administration failed to meet a March 10th deadline set forth in this ruling and was ordered subsequently to provide a timeline for payment.
Reuters reported that Judge Theodore Chuang issued an initial ruling ordering Musk and DOGE to restore access rights to USAID's computer systems, including thousands of furloughed employees who were previously barred from accessing these systems. This decision was in response to lawsuits filed by current and former USAID staff members; it is one among several pending legal challenges against the rapid dissolution of USAID.
Norm Eisen, executive director of State Democracy Defenders Fund and attorney for 26 anonymous plaintiffs involved in this case stated: "Today's ruling marks a significant victory over Musk’s assault on USAID, the U.S. government, and our Constitution."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded by saying that “a renegade judge is now trying to overturn the will of American people who elected President Trump,” adding that they would appeal against this decision.
President Donald Trump had ordered all foreign aid programs frozen for 90 days on his first day in office. Soon after, Musk and DOGE entered USAID’s payment systems and froze many payments while informing numerous employees about their furloughs. On February 3rd, Musk tweeted that he was “spending the weekend putting USAID through a wood chipper.”
The plaintiffs argued in court filings on February 13th that by taking control of USAID operations, Musk had acted as if he were an appointed government official without going through proper constitutional channels.
Judge Theodore Chuang agreed with this argument and ruled that both Musk’s actions and those of DOGE “may have violated the Constitution in multiple ways,” harming not only plaintiffs but also public interests.
Musk's defense team argued that his role was strictly advisory to Trump, while actual responsibility for any violations should lie solely on institutional officials rather than DOGE itself; however, Judge Chuang ruled against this claim.
In addition to restoring employee access rights, the judge ordered a halt in disclosing sensitive information about employees as well. However, he did not prevent large-scale terminations of USAID contracts and personnel which have already led to significant disruptions globally for humanitarian aid operations.
Judge Amir Ali from Washington D.C., meanwhile, had previously ruled that payments must be made immediately on past work by contractors involved with USAID but stopped short of ordering the restoration of all contracts. The Trump administration failed to meet a March 10th deadline set forth in this ruling and was ordered subsequently to provide a timeline for payment.