WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed American embassies worldwide to proceed with carrying out an order to terminate all remaining employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He indicated that by Monday, the State Department would assume responsibility for USAID’s foreign aid initiatives.
Previously, a federal judge had put a temporary hold on an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which called for widespread layoffs across multiple federal agencies, including the State Department. Critics of the reorganization argue that Rubio’s strategy seems to contravene this judicial injunction.
According to the Trump administration, the plan was already set into motion before the executive order was announced, thus negating any potential breach. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston is still in the process of reaching a decision regarding this matter.
Speaking on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce remarked that Rubio’s order was expected. She noted, “This was simply a formal communication telling our embassies what they had anticipated, which is that these roles were slated for elimination. This isn’t a surprise. It follows exactly what we outlined earlier this year in February and March.”
Rubio advised the embassies to adhere to the department’s strategy, with the goal “to dismantle all USAID positions overseas” by September 30.
The dismissal of the remaining USAID personnel abroad constitutes one of the final phases in the dismantling of the U.S. aid organization, resulting in the discharge of over 10,000 employees and contractors under the Trump administration’s initiative, in conjunction with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as DOGE. The agency had been one of their initial targets for elimination.