Judge Grants Temporary Relief: Small US Agency for African Development Avoids Immediate Shutdown

A judge has stopped the Trump administration from quickly closing a small federal agency that helps invest in African nations. This decision came after a lawsuit filed by Ward Brehm, the president and CEO of the U.S. African Development Foundation.

Brehm stated that he instructed his staff to deny access to personnel from Elon Musk’s new office, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He claimed that DOGE doesn’t have the power to shut down the agency, which was established by Congress.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, appointed by President George W. Bush, protects Brehm from being removed and prevents DOGE from adding new members to the agency’s board in the immediate future.

Just days before, President Trump had targeted the U.S. African Development Foundation in an executive order aimed at shrinking the federal government. Following this order, DOGE staff attempted to access the agency’s computer systems. Brehm stated that when they learned of this intent, his staff refused to allow access, preventing any cancellation of current grants and contracts.

The White House responded, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly asserting that federal bureaucrats cannot ignore the President’s orders or block his representatives from entering government offices.

The Trump administration had tasked DOGE, along with Musk, to eliminate waste and fraud while helping reduce the national debt. In his complaint, Brehm mentioned that DOGE and its deputy administrator, Pete Marocco, are also targeting other agencies like the Inter-American Foundation, which supports projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This week, DOGE announced on social media that most employees at the Inter-American Foundation had been let go and that several grants, including ones for agriculture projects in various countries, had been canceled.

Furthermore, Trump has targeted the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Presidio Trust—both created by Congress. While these agencies are still operating, they are gathering information requested by the White House.

In another related case, the National Endowment for Democracy filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after being denied access to its funding for the first time in 42 years. In 2023, the Endowment reported granting $238 million, including support for the International Republican Institute, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio once served.