Washington DC [US]: The administration of US President Donald Trump is taking formal steps to dissolve the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and merge it with the State Department, according to a report by The Hill.
A reduction in force notice has been issued to the remaining USAID employees, informing them of their termination and outlining plans for full integration into the State Department by July 1. The memo also stated that by September 2, USAID’s operations would either be transferred to the State Department or phased out.
Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer who recently joined USAID, explained the decision in a statement:
“As Secretary Rubio has said, following congressional consultations, the State Department intends to assume responsibility for many of USAID’s functions and its ongoing programming. It will also obviate the need for USAID to continue operating as an independent establishment. Accordingly, the Department will seek to retire USAID’s independent operation, consistent with applicable law.”
It remains unclear which specific USAID programs will continue under the State Department.
According to a memo to Congress obtained by CNN, USAID—an agency that once had 10,000 employees—now has only 900 remaining staff members. Employees will be terminated either on July 1 or September 2, with those in the later group responsible for overseeing the shutdown process.
“The remaining USAID personnel will then supervise the responsible decommissioning of USAID assets and the wind-down of the Agency’s independent operations,” Lewin added.
In a separate move late Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing several federal agencies to suspend union bargaining rights, with USAID included on the list after being reclassified as a national security agency by the administration.
The closure of USAID marks a significant shift in US foreign aid policy, raising concerns about the future of American-led international development programs.