USAID Workforce Slashed to 290, Risking Global Aid

The Trump administration is implementing drastic cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), reducing its workforce from over 10,000 to about 290 employees, a move that has prompted legal challenges from federal workers' associations. Most of the approximately 3,000 institutional support contractors have already been laid off or furloughed, with only a handful of personnel remaining in critical regions like Africa and Asia. Thousands of USAID employees have been placed on administrative leave, with a deadline for overseas staff to return to the U.S. within 30 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the cuts are not intended to be punitive, although concerns persist about the impact on global aid programs. Critics, including former USAID leadership, warn that this reduction could severely undermine the agency's capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance worldwide. The American Foreign Service Association has filed lawsuits against these actions, arguing they are unlawful without congressional approval.