Appeals Court Allows DOGE to Continue to Downsize USAID

The new ruling suspended a Maryland federal judge’s order to block the Trump administration’s efforts to pare down USAID operations.

An American flag and USAID flag fly outside the USAID building in Washington on Feb. 1, 2025. Annabelle Gordon/Reuters

A federal appeals court on March 28 put on hold a lower court order that blocked efforts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to downsize the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued an order around the close of business on Friday stating that the preliminary injunction filed March 18 by Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang “hereby is stayed pending the resolution of this appeal.”