A federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the Constitution by attempting to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang sided with over two dozen USAID employees and contractors who challenged the shutdown, stating that Musk, a senior White House adviser, and DOGE had overstepped their authority.
Chuang granted a partial preliminary injunction, ordering Musk and DOGE to restore USAID employees’ access to email, payment systems, and offices while blocking further efforts to close the agency.
Judge Chuang emphasized that Musk’s actions violated the Appointments Clause, arguing that “if a president could escape Appointments Clause scrutiny by having advisers… exercise significant authority throughout the federal government, the Appointments Clause would be reduced to nothing more than a technical formality.”
He pointed to evidence that Musk and DOGE had taken unilateral actions beyond USAID, including shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters and dismissing federal employees without proper authorization.
Norm Eisen, who represented the USAID employees, called the ruling an “important victory,” warning that Musk and DOGE were “performing surgery with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel.”
The case highlights concerns over executive overreach, as Musk’s role in DOGE remains legally ambiguous despite President Trump’s claims that Musk leads the agency.
The judge ruled that “there is no statute that authorizes the Executive Branch to shut down USAID,” affirming that only Congress has the constitutional authority to eliminate federal agencies.
He also expressed concern over DOGE staff accessing classified information without proper clearance.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision, setting the stage for further legal battles over executive power and agency autonomy.
