A federal judge allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to move forward with restructuring the United States Agency for International Development, marking a key early test of his authority to reduce parts of the federal government.
United States District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, rejected a request from unions representing USAID employees to indefinitely block the administration’s plan to dismantle the agency.
In newly filed court documents, Nichols threw out the temporary restraining order that paused Trump’s order that 2,200 USAID employees be put on administrative leave, as the opinion concludes that there is not enough evidence that the agency is being disbanded to justify an extension.
The ruling means the White House can press ahead with restructuring the nation’s main foreign development agency, even as lawmakers and union…
