A federal judge on Tuesday blocked billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from taking any more steps to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), saying their efforts to close the agency probably violated the US Constitution.
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In a preliminary ruling, US District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered US President Donald Trump’s adviser Musk and Doge to restore access to USAID’s computer systems for the agency’s direct and contract employees, including thousands who have been placed on leave. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by current and former employees, one of several currently pending over the rapid dismantling of the foreign aid agency.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The evidence suggests that Musk made decisions to shut down USAID’s headquarters and website despite the administration’s claim that he was merely Trump’s adviser, Chaung found. Musk’s public statements and social media posts shoe that he has “firm control over Doge”, the judge concluded.
The judge acknowledged that it is likely that USAID is no longer capable of performing some of its statutorily required functions.
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“Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated,” Chuang wrote in the preliminary injunction.
The lawsuit filed by lawyers for USAID employees and contractors singled out Musk as a defendant, arguing that he was wielding power the Constitution reserves only for those who win elections or are confirmed by the Senate.