WASHINGTON − Organizations representing foreign aid personnel are taking legal action against the Trump administration in an effort to halt the reduction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), describing the current situation as an “illegal confiscation.”

“This is a true moral emergency,” stated Lauren Batemen, a lawyer with Public Citizen Litigation Group, who is assisting the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association in their lawsuit.

The lawsuit, submitted to a federal court in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, highlights that the administration’s cessation of work orders, funding halts, and workforce cuts are leading to job losses in the thousands, jeopardizing U.S. national security, and resulting in a humanitarian crisis.

President Donald Trump has characterized USAID as corrupt, accusing it of spending taxpayer money on projects deemed absurd by the White House.

This week, approximately 10,000 USAID employees were informed they would be placed on administrative leave starting Friday.

The sole exception applies to those designated for “mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs.”

Fewer than 300 employees will remain actively working.

Around two-thirds of USAID’s workforce is stationed abroad in 60 different countries.

Bringing these employees back could potentially incur costs exceeding $20 million, according to Randy Chester, president of the American Foreign Service Association.

“Children will be pulled from their schools, spouses will lose jobs, and families face instability without a clear plan,” Chester pointed out, “not to mention the financial burden this sudden disorganized departure places on American taxpayers.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters this week that the administration would have preferred a “more orderly” process for reviewing USAID.

“However, we encountered a lack of cooperation and even insubordination, forcing us to take a bottom-up approach,” he explained.

The lawsuit asserts that only Congress has the authority to dismantle USAID based on existing laws.

Conversely, Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, argued that the internal organization of USAID is not codified in law.

“And this applies to employee roles and their numbers,” he remarked. “So if (Trump) decides to reduce it to a mere shell , he has the authority to do so.”

Any modifications to USAID’s structure are meant to be carried out in consultation with Congress, as stated by the Congressional Research Service.

Scott R. Anderson, a former U.S. diplomat and government attorney currently at the Brookings Institution, noted that the administration attempted this week to fulfill this requirement by informing Congress of its intent to collaborate with lawmakers on a reorganization.

“If they genuinely follow through on that requirement, they may find themselves on more solid legal footing,” he stated. “However, it could still turn into a policy disaster.”