“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” stated a leaked email.
After President Donald Trump returned to the White House, he, along with Elon Musk, targeted USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, which is the premier entity for providing global aid.
In 2023, according to government figures, the US allocated $68 billion to international aid. This amount represents roughly 0.6 percent of the annual federal budget of $6.75 trillion.
President Trump criticized the expenditure as ‘totally unexplainable’, while Elon Musk referred to USAID as a ‘criminal organization’, asserting it was ‘time for it to die’.
They have already dismissed approximately 1,600 employees and put 4,200 more on leave, with the ultimate goal of reducing the workforce from about 10,000 to 500.
There are now allegations that the Trump administration has instructed remaining USAID employees to ‘shred and burn classified documents’, as indicated by a court filing from a union representing former staff members.
An email, allegedly from Acting Executive Secretary Erica Y. Carr, reportedly instructed staff to participate in a document destruction event on March 11 at its headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC.
The email stated: “Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break.”
“If you need to use the burn bags, do not overfill, and ensure the burn bag can be closed with staples at the top.”
The plaintiffs are seeking a ruling from the US District Court for the District of Columbia to impose a temporary restraining order on employees to stop the ‘destruction of evidence’.
The filing declared: “Plaintiffs file this emergency motion for temporary restraining order to stop Defendants’ imminent and ongoing destruction of evidence.”
“Defendants are, as this motion is being filed, destroying documents with potential pertinence to this litigation.”
While Trump could potentially reduce USAID’s size through executive orders, the complete dissolution of the agency would likely require congressional approval.
This is because Congress created USAID as a separate entity in 1998, although its original establishment was in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy.
Just Security notes: “Litigation and congressional oversight are certain to follow, but the question is how effective either will be in the immediate term at stopping the most damaging impacts for USAID’s programs and its employees.”
“The details of the E.O. will shape how specific challenges to the action unfold, but expect to see at a minimum suits brought by beneficiaries of USAID programs, impoundment act challenges, and more.”