AFL-CIO and partner unions accused Trump Administration
In early February 2025 the administration moved to fold USAID into the State Department and place much of its staff on leave. A coalition of unions and current employees sued, arguing that only Congress can abolish an agency it created and fund, and that the actions stripped Congress of its appropriations power.
The accusation
AFL-CIO and partner unions
A labor coalition accused the administration of dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development by directive rather than by statute.
The response
Trump Administration
Administration officials said foreign aid programs did not align with the president's policy and that the reorganization was within executive authority. The Justice Department argued the unions lacked standing to challenge the staffing decisions.
Institutions involved
Sources — primary documents first
- PrimaryForeign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. § 6563)https://www.govinfo.gov
- Complaint, AFL-CIO v. Trump (D.D.C.)https://www.courtlistener.com
This entry is an illustrative placeholder written from public, on-the-record framing. Sources will be replaced with verified primary documents.