Current and former officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have sharply criticized the Trump administration’s decision to halt most of the agency’s operations. Speaking anonymously due to fear of retribution, these officials say the sudden funding freeze has left critical aid programs stranded and USAID employees overseas in turmoil.
Humanitarian Work Comes to a Standstill
According to multiple USAID officials, the agency’s humanitarian work worldwide has effectively stopped. Although Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued waivers allowing lifesaving programs to continue, many officials argue that these waivers are ineffective.
“Right now, there is no USAID humanitarian assistance happening,” a current USAID humanitarian division official stated. “The waivers are a fraud and a sham, intended to give the illusion of continuity, which is untrue.”
The official explained that due to widespread furloughs, there is no staff available to process waivers, transfer funds, or approve projects.
“There is no staff left anymore to actually process waiver requests or to move money or to make awards or to do anything,” the official added. “We’ve ceased to exist.”
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency Takes Over
The agency’s crisis escalated after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency assumed control over USAID, reportedly making drastic cuts and laying off staff. As a result, many aid workers say they are in limbo, unsure of their futures.
One former USAID official said that even partner organizations that are theoretically eligible for funding under the waivers have not received a single payment since the stop-work order was issued.
Marco Rubio Defends Waiver System
Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied claims that USAID funding has completely stopped.
“I issued a blanket waiver that said if this is lifesaving programs—if it’s providing food or medicine or anything that is saving lives and is immediate and urgent—you’re not included in the freeze,” Rubio said.
He went on to question the competence of organizations that claim they cannot access funding.
“If some organization is receiving funds from the United States and does not know how to apply a waiver, then I have real questions about the competence of that organization, or I wonder whether they’re deliberately sabotaging it for purposes of making a political point,” he added.
USAID officials, however, argue that even organizations with approved waivers are unable to access their funding because their lines of credit in Washington, D.C., have been frozen.
Aid Workers Face Uncertain Futures
Beyond the impact on humanitarian aid, the shutdown has also left many USAID workers and their families stranded overseas.
One USAID official, currently based in Asia and expecting a child, became emotional when describing her situation.
“We have a nursery painted with a crib ready for our baby that has taken us three years of fertility treatments to conceive,” she said. “Instead of nesting and planning for their arrival, we are unsure if Secretary Rubio and President Trump are going to abandon us overseas or abandon us when we land on American soil.”
She further revealed that USAID families awaiting the arrival of infants have not been provided with resettlement assistance. Many are now relying on refugee resources from churches and community groups, originally meant to help displaced people from conflict zones like Syria and Afghanistan.
“Unless the tide of public opinion shifts, each of these families are going to arrive homeless, jobless, and insurance-less within a matter of days, or possibly even hours, of stepping foot on American soil,” she warned.
Families Left Without Homes in the U.S.
The situation is equally dire for other USAID families. A spouse of a current USAID official working in Latin America explained how the sudden cut has disrupted their entire life.
“We do not have a home to go back to, which is quite typical of Foreign Service families, and we don’t know how we’re supposed to pick up and just leave,” the spouse said.
Many USAID employees have spent decades working overseas, following agency assignments wherever needed. Now, with operations halted, they are being forced to leave without any support or relocation assistance.
“How do you leave when you have school-age kids, pets, things, and no home to return to? And you have a mission that you believe in and that you’ve supported for decades? And it’s just the rug pulled under you,” the official added.
Rubio: “Not Our Intention” to Uproot Families
Despite the agency’s 30-day mandate requiring USAID workers to return to the U.S., Rubio insists that the administration does not intend to leave these families stranded.
However, without a clear plan or additional funding, many USAID employees and their families fear they will be left with no support, uncertain futures, and no homes to return to.
The Trump administration’s decision to halt USAID funding has created a humanitarian and logistical crisis. Critical aid projects remain frozen, leaving vulnerable communities without support.
Meanwhile, USAID employees overseas face sudden displacement, with no clear path forward. As legal and political battles over the funding freeze continue, the future of both the agency’s mission and its dedicated workforce remains uncertain.
