Trump sends sturdy message with resolution of who will take over USAID’s empty workplaces
In another shocking political move by President Donald Trump, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to take over the longtime offices of USAID in downtown Washington, D.C.
A CBP spokesperson confirmed the move in a statement on Friday night, revealing that the agency had signed a license agreement to occupy approximately 390,000 square feet within the USAID tower at the Ronald Reagan Building.
However, the spokesperson declined to provide further details about the relocation.
CBP’s current headquarters are already housed in a separate wing of the Reagan Building.
The transition carries symbolic weight as the Trump administration continues its efforts to downsize the federal government and shift its priorities.
Speculation about the move grew after CBP officials conducted a walk-through of the USAID offices nearly two weeks ago.
The relocation also comes amid uncertainty for USAID employees.
Since the administration moved to shutter the agency three weeks ago, thousands of workers have been left in limbo, with many unable to retrieve personal belongings from their offices.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will occupy the longtime headquarters of USAID at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C.
The agency has signed a license agreement to occupy approximately 390,000 square feet within the USAID tower
Some were permitted to collect items from a separate USAID facility on Friday, just hours before a federal judge lifted a temporary hold on the administration’s plan to place the agency’s workforce on leave.
The move signals a reshuffling of federal office space and priorities under the Trump administration, leaving USAID’s future operations in question.
The legal battle over USAID’s fate saw a significant turn after U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols dissolved a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration.
Nichols, a Trump appointee, had initially blocked the administration’s plan to place 2,200 USAID employees on paid leave but reversed the decision on Friday.
Two unions representing USAID workers had filed a last-minute lawsuit arguing that dismantling the agency violated the U.S. Constitution and caused harm to employees.
However, Nichols ruled that they failed to prove the workers would suffer irreparable harm.
‘Plaintiffs assert that the executive branch’s challenged conduct has harmed (and will harm) them and their members in multiple ways,’ Nichols wrote. ‘But to qualify as irreparable harm, the injury alleged must be both certain and great; it must be actual and not theoretical.’
He further concluded that the employment-related claims did not justify the ‘extraordinary remedy’ of a preliminary injunction, stating that the harm to employees was ‘more minimal than it initially appeared.’
Pictured: A worker removes the signage outside the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID) building after President Trump and Musk called for it to be shuttered, spurring outcry from Democrats in Congress
USAID has been in limbo since the administration moved to shut it down three weeks ago
Pictured: Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks speaks to reporters during the visit to the US-Mexico border
Overseas USAID workers will have the option to return to the U.S. with agency-funded travel or remain on paid leave at their foreign posts with access to essential resources.
Nichols also criticized the unions for ‘overstating’ the impact of the administration’s executive order, reinforcing the administration’s stance on downsizing the agency.
The initial restraining order had been granted due to concerns over the abrupt return of more than 2,000 overseas employees within 30 days, but with that concern alleviated, the court lifted the restriction.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee recently held a session titled ‘The USAID Betrayal’ to examine how the agency and the State Department allocated billions of dollars to what lawmakers described as ‘wasteful’ programs.
Meanwhile, Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) suspended all foreign aid USAID distributed after uncovering suspicious payments.
The agency, which employs roughly 10,000 workers, has been under scrutiny following Musk’s discovery of fraud and abuse, leading to proposed plans to slash its workforce from thousands to just a few hundred.
Judge Carl J. Nichols, who was appointed by Trump in 2019, has lifted the limited temporary restraining order he granted on February 7 that blocked the president from placing 2,200 USAID workers on paid leave
The push to downsize USAID has sparked protests outside its former headquarters in D.C., and criticism from Democrats, who argue the agency is vital to U.S. foreign influence.
During the committee hearing, Chairman Brian Mast (R-Fla.) played a video showcasing examples of taxpayer-funded programs, including a drag show workshop for Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador, which he cited as a clear instance of government waste.
