JUSTICE FOR USAID—SUPPORTING LEGAL ACTION FOR FORMER USAID STAFF
They showed up for America and the world. Now they’ve been unlawfully fired.
Thousands of USAID employees—public servants who built careers serving others in war zones, disaster areas, and global crises— dedicated their careers to advancing U.S. values and saving lives around the world. Now their own government has terminated them without due process. Their dismissals violate federal laws and betray basic fairness.
We’re raising funds for legal action to hold the U.S. government accountable.
Stand with them. Fight for justice.
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What’s Happening
to USAID Employees?
Since January 2025, thousands of dedicated public servants at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been stripped of their jobs—suddenly, without cause, and in violation of U.S. law.
By September, nearly all of USAID’s 10,000+ career staff will be gone.
These aren’t anonymous bureaucrats. They’re the people who responded to earthquakes, stopped famine, fought pandemics, built schools, supported women’s rights, and strengthened democratic institutions around the world. They worked in war zones and crisis zones—and did so on behalf of the American people.
The layoffs at USAID gutted the world’s largest team of development and humanitarian professionals - 10,000+ career staff and 5,000 additional technical experts - who have spent decades building the expertise and understanding to promote institutional stability, prevent famine, and respond to global crises while enhancing American security and saving taxpayers money. Terminating them deprives the U.S. of critical insight and readiness to prevent conflict, reduce poverty, and contain global health crises before they reach U.S. borders.
Now, they’ve been unlawfully pushed out—silenced, disrespected, and denied the most basic protections under the law.
Why It Matters
Federal law outlines strict procedures for workforce reductions (known as RIFs) to prevent politically motivated firings and ensure fairness. But those rules were ignored.
The Administration terminated thousands of career employees without the notice, justification, or process required by law. In many cases, they were replaced by staff hired into non-career roles through a rushed and likely unlawful process at the State Department.
This is not just about a government agency. It’s about the integrity of our public institutions. If federal employment protections can be swept aside for these workers, they can be swept aside for anyone.
Upholding the law is not optional. It’s essential.
Why Fight Back?
USAID’s unions tried to stop this in court. But on July 25, their constitutional challenge was dismissed—not on the merits, but on jurisdiction. The judge ruled that these are individual federal employment cases, which must be pursued through administrative appeals.
Now, thousands of public servants must seek private legal counsel and pay thousands of dollars each to fight back. Many simply can’t afford to do so.
Pragmatic Panic and Justice for USAID are raising funds to help cover those legal fees and ensure that justice is not just available to the wealthy or well-connected.
How Can I Help?
Your tax-deductible donation will help pay for legal representation for those unfairly terminated.
Every dollar supports efforts to:
Defend the rights of career public servants
Enforce federal employment law and RIF procedures
Hold the Administration accountable for unlawful dismissals
Protect nonpartisan public service from politicization