A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the embattled U.S. Institute of Peace, the independent, congressionally funded organization taken over by the Department of Government Efficiency two months ago.
In a memorandum opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell argued that the actions taken by administration officials and DOGE to break apart USIP were “unlawful” and that the removal of the institute’s president, George Moose, subsequently installing DOGE official Kenneth Jackson as his replacement and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration must be declared “null and void.”
In February, Trump signed an executive order firing Moose and most of USIP’s board, deeming the organization “unnecessary.” The remaining board members, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Defense University President Peter Garvin, subsequently installed Kenneth Jackson, a DOGE member, as acting USIP president.
Following Trump’s order, Elon Musk and DOGE surreptitiously gained access to its headquarters in Washington following a dramatic standoff with employees earlier this year. After DOGE officials took over the building with the assistance of D.C. Metropolitan police officers, most employees at the institute were laid off.
“This Administration then went even further, taking severe actions to dissemble USIP, including terminating its appointed Board members, its expert management, its dedicated staff and contractors … and dispersing its assets and headquarters building,” Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, wrote in the 102-page ruling.
A representative of DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plaintiffs, former USIP board members and Moose, have argued that the Trump administration does not have jurisdiction over the institute, as it’s not a part of the executive branch, and should not be subject to an executive order signed by Trump in February.
The mandate of the nonpartisan USIP, which was founded over four decades ago, is to prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad.
Howell argued that “the President second-guessed the judgment of Congress and President Reagan in creating USIP 40 years ago, and the judgment of every Congress since then, including in 2024, in appropriating funds to USIP, when he deemed this organization to be ‘unnecessary’ three months ago.”
The president’s constitutional authority does not give him absolute power to dismantle organization’s like USIP, Howell argued, and his efforts in this case “represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better.”
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