USAID faces massive layoffs amid agency reorganization
USAID employees were informed on Friday that positions not directly required by law would be eliminated. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the layoffs are part of a "reorganization."
According to Reuters, USAID (United States Agency for International Development) employees were notified that all positions, except those mandated by law, will be cut. This means dismissing nearly all remaining staff at the agency, whose closure was announced by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
As noted by Reuters, the decision was announced on the day a strong earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand. During Friday's briefing, the State Department spokeswoman confirmed this but stated it would not affect the humanitarian aid system used by USAID for disaster-affected areas, known as DART.
Bruce refused to disclose the number of employees being laid off, but she mentioned that some could apply for new positions in the summer when their current roles formally end. She explained this is part of the "reorganization," and assured that the State Department remains fully committed to continuing "life-saving" aid programs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also currently acting as head of USAID, stated in a communiqué that the changes aim to "adapt" the agency's activities to align with U.S. policy goals and argued that the agency has "deviated from its original mission." Musk, whose DOGE team initiated the cuts and layoffs, labeled the agency a "criminal organization," accusing it, without providing evidence, of embezzlement and fraud.
80% of contracts and grants canceled
Earlier, Rubio decided to cancel 80% of the contracts and grants issued by USAID. Among them was a grant for Yale University's Conflict Observatory center, which was documenting and tracking the mass deportation of Ukrainian children by Russians.
As Tammy Bruce explained on Friday, contrary to media reports, the program was not reinstated on Thursday. Still, it was temporarily suspended to allow it to complete its work and submit collected evidence of Russian war crimes to law enforcement agencies.
Despite this, Bruce assured that both Marco Rubio and Donald Trump are deeply concerned about the fate of Ukrainian children, and that the president's concern is the best guarantee the U.S. will remain engaged in the matter. However, she could not specify the American administration's concrete actions.
