Judge Rules DOGE Shutdown of USAID “Likely Unconstitutional”

Federal District Court Judge Theodore Chuang ruled that Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” likely violated the Constitution in multiple ways in their shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Chuang’s 68 page ruling included “the Court finds that Defendants’ actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID Officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways, and that these actions harmed not only Plaintiffs, but also the public interest, because they deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”

Chuang also wrote “the evidence presently favors the conclusion that contrary to Defendants’ sweeping claim that Musk has acted only as an advisor, Musk made the decisions to shutdown USAID’s headquarters and website even though he lacked the authority to make that decision.”

He ordered DOGE “to reinstate access to email, payments, security notifications, and other electronic systems, including restoring deleted emails, for current USAID employees” and contractors. He prohibited DOGE from doing anything further toward terminating USAID.

Most USAID programs have already been closed down. USAID’s workforce has been cut to about 200 and its overseas staff have been recalled. The order not to complete the shutdown is important in symbolism but cannot restore the impact USAID had worldwide before Trump’s inauguration.

Donald Trump promised to appeal the ruling.

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Click here to read the ruling.