A federal judge on Tuesday (March 18) ruled that efforts to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) by billionaire Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were likely unconstitutional.

US district judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland also stopped DOGE from taking any further steps to close the aid agency.

The preliminary ruling requires the restoration of email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those put on administrative leave.

However, it does not reverse layoffs at the agency.

What else do we know about the ruling?

The order came in response to a lawsuit by current and former USAID employees – one of many filed over the dismantling of the US's primary foreign aid agency.

Chuang also rejected US President Donald Trump's administration's position that Musk is merely his counsel.

“Today's decision is an important victory against Elon Musk and his DOGE attack on USAID, the US government and the constitution,” said Norm Eisen, executive chair of the State Democracy Defenders Fund, and a lawyer representing the 26 anonymous plaintiffs in the case.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that Musk has excessive powers to control USAID. They also claimed that Musk and DOGE's overreaching powers violate the US constitution.

How did Donald Trump respond to the ruling?

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said his administration would appeal the ruling.

“I guarantee you we will be appealing it. We have rogue judges that are destroying our country,” Trump said.

In January, Trump issued a series of executive orders, including a 90-day freeze on all US foreign aid.

Following Trump's order, Musk and DOGE froze USAID's payments and email access and placed a bulk of the staff on leave.

On February 3, Musk wrote on X that he had “spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper”.

This article was originally published on DW.

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