The Trump administration has escalated its efforts to dismantle the independence of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by placing more staff on administrative leave and asserting control over the agency. Nearly 30 career staff in the Legislative and Public Affairs bureau lost access to their emails, bringing the total number of senior USAID career staff on leave to nearly 100. Two senior security officials were also put on leave for refusing to hand over classified documents to the Department of Government Efficiency officials.

Matt Hopson, appointed as chief of staff by the Trump administration, has resigned in the midst of this turmoil. The administration’s freeze on U.S. foreign aid, part of its “America First” foreign policy, has triggered significant disruptions in global aid programs funded by USAID, jeopardizing critical initiatives like field hospitals in refugee camps and disease treatment programs.

U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast expressed support for integrating USAID under the State Department for enhanced command and control. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk, tasked by Trump to lead a cost-cutting panel, criticized USAID as a “criminal organization” and called for its demise without substantiating his claims. Peter Marocco, a Trump administration appointee with a background in the Department of Defense, is spearheading sweeping changes at USAID.

Amidst these developments, USAID’s website has been inaccessible, hinting at the agency’s uncertain future. The White House is reportedly exploring legal avenues, including potentially issuing an executive order, to dissolve USAID’s independence.