A federal judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s plan to place 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on paid leave, just hours before the move was set to take effect.

Judge Carl Nichols issued a “limited” temporary restraining order in response to an emergency lawsuit filed by two unions representing agency workers. The order, which remains in effect until February 14 at midnight, prevents the administration from sidelining additional staff.

Trump has long argued that USAID is an unnecessary drain on taxpayer money and has sought to dismantle the agency. His plan would have put nearly all of its 10,000 employees on leave, leaving only 611 staff members active. Around 500 employees had already been placed on administrative leave, with another 2,200 scheduled to follow at midnight on Friday (05:00 GMT).

However, the last-minute legal challenge claimed the move violated the U.S. Constitution and harmed affected workers. Judge Nichols agreed, ruling that the unions would suffer “irreparable harm” without court intervention, while the government faced “zero harm.”

“All USAID employees currently on administrative leave shall be reinstated until that date, and shall be given complete access to email, payment, and security notification systems,” Nichols wrote, adding that no additional employees could be placed on leave before the deadline.

A hearing on Wednesday will determine whether the order should be extended. The fate of the remaining USAID staff remains uncertain.

Political Battle Over USAID’s Future

As the ruling was issued, officials reportedly began removing and covering USAID signs at the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. The agency, which operates in over 120 countries, is the world’s largest foreign aid donor, with much of its $40 billion budget allocated to global health programs. Two-thirds of its workforce is based overseas.

Trump’s administration has been aggressively targeting federal agencies in an effort to reduce government spending. He campaigned on streamlining government operations and established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, to cut costs.

Friday’s ruling came in response to an emergency petition from the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees. The lawsuit argued that Trump’s actions to dismantle USAID lacked congressional approval.

“Not a single one of defendants’ actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization,” the lawsuit stated. “And pursuant to federal statute, Congress is the only entity that may lawfully dismantle the agency.”

Fallout and Global Impact

The administration, however, maintains that USAID is rife with corruption. Justice Department official Brett Shumate told the court that Trump “has decided there is corruption and fraud at USAID.”

Shortly after taking office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order suspending all foreign aid until it aligned with his “America First” policy. This led to a stop-work order at USAID, which oversees health and emergency programs in some of the world’s poorest regions.

Trump doubled down on his stance in a Truth Social post, writing, “USAID IS DRIVING THE RADICAL LEFT CRAZY. THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!”

Critics, however, warn of dire consequences. Former USAID chief Samantha Power called the move “one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.”

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, echoed those concerns, telling the BBC that cuts to USAID’s budget would have devastating global effects. “AIDS-related deaths in the next five years will increase by 6.3 million” if funding is not restored, she warned.

With the temporary restraining order in place, USAID staff will continue working for at least another week—but the broader battle over the agency’s future is far from over.