USAID workers at Washington HQ told to stay home on Monday in unexpected e-mail in the morning

Cnn
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The head office of the US Agency for International Development in Washington was unexpectedly closed on Monday and the workers were sent shortly after midnight, which they should not come in, according to several sources familiar with the case.

“In the direction of the Agency’s leadership, USAID will headquarters in the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, DC be closed to agency staff on Monday, February 3, 2025. Site and building maintenance functions that were individually contacted by senior management, ”said the email where CNN has received a copy.

It is the latest ominous sign of the long -standing international aid agency that has found itself in President Donald Trump’s cross and Elon Musk’s efforts to reform the federal government.

In a conversation on X -Rum early on Monday, Tech entrepreneur said Trump agrees that the agency should be “closed” after speculation about sites over its future after its funding was frozen and dozens of its employees were put on leave. Trump has said that USAID is “run by a bunch of radical madman and we get them out.”

Over the weekend, two top security officials in USAID were put on administrative leave to deny members of the Department of Government Efficiency Access to Systems on the Agency, even when Doge staff threatened to call law enforcement, said several sources who are familiar with the situation , to Cnn.

USAID logos and photos showing the humanitarian work that the agency performs across the globe was removed from its offices last week, several sources familiar with the situation told CNN.

“All the visuals are taken down. These are like large photos of our work in developing countries that are in our lobbies, in our galleys, in municipal kitchens, times, ”said a USAID employee. “An order also came down to individual agencies and offices to remove all USAID works and signage.”

Another USAID -Worker said to CNN: “They have taken the pictures from the walls and we are missing half of our colleagues because our colleagues are gone and have been released and everyone feels like they are walking around with a goal on their backs . ”

A source that works in a USAID -anks building told CNN that they have no word about whether to go to work on Monday.

When asked if leaders in their department seemed to have more information about the agency’s work, the source said, “Our senior leaders have all been fired.”

About 60 senior USAID staff were put on leave last week on allegations of attempts to bypass Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign aid for 90 days. Many more junior staff and contractors within the agency have also been placed on Furlough, several sources told CNN.

USAID was established in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy’s administration and is the US government’s humanitarian arm. It releases billions of dollars annually around the world in an attempt to relieve poverty, treat diseases and respond to famine and natural disasters. It also promotes democracy building and development by supporting non-governmental organizations, independent media and social initiatives.

USID is an important soft power tool in the United States to promote relations with communities around the world, officials say, noting that US national security is approaching department, state department and USAID.

This story breaks and will be updated.

CNNS Jennifer Hansler and Alex Marquardt contributed to this report.