More USAID staff set to be cut as the Trump administration tries to move agency into the State Department

Updated at 6:20 p.m. ET on March 28 

Virtually all U.S. Agency for Internal Development positions that are not mandated by law will be eliminated as the Trump administration seeks to largely fold the agency into the State Department, according to a memorandum sent to agency staff on Friday obtained by Government Executive. 

Employees will be laid off under reduction in force procedures on either July 1 or Sept. 2, which also are key dates for terminating agency programming or transferring it to the State Department. In the meantime, the Trump administration is asking staff to assist with the transition. 

“As you can imagine, there will be lots of work to responsibly migrate operations and responsibility to the State Department. We would like to offer every USAID employee the opportunity to participate in that important work, if they so choose. At the same time, we understand that many of you may prefer to take time to focus on your families and future,” according to the memo from Jeremy Lewin, an agency official who used to work for the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency. 

On Saturday, USAID employees will be able to select whether they want to remain on active duty or go on administrative leave. 

The memo stated that the State Department will hire individuals as it assumes USAID’s life-saving and strategic aid functions and that USAID employees will be eligible for such opportunities. It also said that agency employees who have already been laid off will receive a superseding RIF with a separation date of July 1 or Sept. 2 to ensure they have “the same notice, severance and return travel periods as the rest of the agency’s workforce and retain the same eligibility for any potential State Department hiring.” 

Lewin wrote that overseas employees will have “safe and fully compensated return travel.” 

The Trump administration argued that moving most of USAID into the State Department will “enhance efficiency, accountability, uniformity and strategic impact in delivering foreign assistance programs — allowing our nation and president to speak with one voice in foreign affairs.” 

A district judge on March 18 ordered the Trump administration to pause its efforts to dismantle USAID; however, a circuit court on Friday suspended the lower court’s ruling while it hears the Trump administration's appeal. 

After the Trump administration began eliminating USAID, the Congressional Research Service in February reported that congressional authorization is necessary to abolish, move or consolidate the agency.

Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, decried the Trump administration's actions against USAID as "illegal." 

"If he wants to dismantle or fold USAID into another agency and fire all USAID personnel he must come to Congress, not Elon Musk," they said in a joint statement. "[W]e will continue to fight this in the courts, in Congress and with the American people."

This story has been updated with the latest developments on the appeals case and a statement from Rep. Connolly and Sen. Kaine.