A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) likely violated the U.S. Constitution by shutting down USAID, ordering the Trump administration to reverse some of its actions to dismantle the agency.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang’s ruling was a significant setback for the administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal government.
The judge issued an injunction halting the termination of USAID officials and contractors, and ordered that former employees regain access to their government email, security, and payment systems.
Judge Chuang also mandated that USAID be allowed to return to its now-closed headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building, pending the resolution of a lawsuit challenging the agency’s closure.
The administration is expected to appeal the ruling.
The lawsuit, filed by over two dozen former USAID employees, questioned Musk’s involvement in overseeing the deletion of USAID’s website and the closure of its headquarters.
Chuang’s opinion stated that Musk likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s appointments clause by acting with the authority of a federal officer, which would require Senate confirmation.
The judge rejected claims that the shutdowns were solely carried out by USAID leaders, emphasizing that Musk made the decisions without the authority to do so.
The injunction follows weeks of turmoil at USAID, where thousands of programs were terminated, employees locked out, and classified documents were reportedly destroyed.