Nearly all of USAID is expected to be laid off Friday with Reuters reporting the agency will retain just over 600 workers, down from the thousands it had. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro has more.

Washington

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is reportedly undergoing significant staffing cuts, with nearly all employees expected to be laid off. Reuters indicates that the agency will retain approximately 600 workers, reduced drastically from its original thousands. This situation has prompted unions representing USAID to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the recent actions to reduce the agency's staff and freeze foreign aid require Congressional authorization.

The lawsuit, filed against President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, claims the measures to reduce USAID overstep Congressional authority, which established the agency as independent in 1998. It seeks a temporary restraining order to halt the administration's decision to place direct-hire personnel on administrative leave and to continue dismantling the agency. Additionally, the legal action calls for the restoration of funding for foreign aid and the reopening of USAID offices.

President Trump commented on Truth Social, remarking that USAID's closure is causing distress among the radical left and asserting there is no recourse available to counter these measures. Meanwhile, another federal action has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship, and an appeal has been filed to challenge this block. The Department of Justice maintains that individuals residing illegally in the U.S. are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, thereby contesting their children's citizenship status under the 14th Amendment.



Almost all of USAID staff expected to be laid off

OK, turning now to those massive cuts to USAID, as nearly all of the agency is expected to be laid off today. Reuters reports the agency will retain just over 600 workers, which is down from the thousands that it had. I want to bring in CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro. Aaron, unions representing USAID, as you know, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. What are they arguing? Good morning, Glenn. This lawsuit filed last night against President Trump, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, argues that the White House's actions to dismantle USAID in the past couple of weeks oversteps the role of Congress, who established USAID as an independent agency in 1998. Just a reminder of some of the actions they've taken on USAID, an overall freeze on foreign aid, a stop work order, a cut down of an agency of about 14,000 staff to an expected 294 instead. The lawsuit last night says that none of these actions got authorization from Congress and says Congress can be the only entity that can lawfully dismantle this agency. They are looking for a temporary restraining order and the impending move tonight for all direct hire personnel to be put on administrative leave and any further actions. It also looks to restore the agency's funding for foreign aid, as well as reopen its offices. And just this morning, Trump posted on Truth Social, quote, USAID is driving the radical left crazy and there's nothing they can do about it, and then talked about how they need—the White House needs to shut it down. So, Aaron, another federal judge has blocked President Trump's attempt at ending birthright citizenship. Tell me about that and how the White House is responding. Yeah, also last night, the White House's—or the Department of Justice filed their first appeal against this block in Washington, and they continue their argument that those in the U.S. illegally are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, kind of looking at that 14th Amendment language, and therefore their children are not U.S. citizens. They're looking to kick that case up to the Circuit Court of Appeals out in the West Coast, but certainly one of the many things that they're going to have to respond to in terms of litigation in the next couple weeks. All right, Aaron Navarro for us this morning. Aaron, thank you very much.

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