Judge block Trump plan to put thousands of USAID staff on leave

One judge don temporarily block President Donald Trump from placing 2,200 US Agency for International Development (USAID) workers on paid leave, just few hours bifor e happun.

Judge Carl Nichols sama wetin dem call limited temporary restraining order in response to one last-minute court case wey two unions file to try save di agency.

Di order go last for one week, until midnight of 14 February.

On Saturday, 8 February, anoda federal judge block Elon Musk Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) from getting access to Treasury Department records wey include personal financial data of millions of Americans, US media bin report.

Trump don argue say USAID, wey be America agency for overseas development, no add any value to taxpayer money and im wan dismantle am.

Im plan na to put nearly all of di agency 10,000 employees on leave, except 611 workers.

About 500 staff don already dey on administrative leave and anoda 2,200 bin dey ready to join dem from midnight on Friday (05:00 GMT).

But dis last-minute lawsuit on Friday bin argue say goment dey violate US Constitution, and also say workers dey suffer harm.

Judge Nichols side wit unions, wey say dem go suffer "irreparable harm" if court no intervene, while e go get "zero harm to goment".

Di order also return di 500 staff wey already dey on administrative leave.

"All USAID employees wey currently dey on administrative leave go return until dat date, and dem go give dem complete access to email, payment, and security notification systems until dat date, and dem no go give any additional employees administrative leave before dat date," Nichols write.

Di judge go also consider request for longer-term pause for one hearing wey go happun on Wednesday.

E no clear from di court order wetin go happun to di agency remaining staff.

As di order come, officials bin dey remove plus cover USAID signs for di organisation headquarters for Washington DC.

Di agency website also no dey work again as e dey only lead to landing page about di staff reduction.

USAID dey run plenty programmes around di world. Two-thirds of im 10,000 staff dey work overseas.

E be one of many federal agencies Wey Trump goment dey target as e dey work to slash federal spending for US.

Di Republican dey campaign to overhauling di goment and form one advisory body wey dem call Department of Goment Efficiency (Doge) - wey tech billionaire Elon Musk - to slash budget.

Friday ruling by Judge Nicholsna in response to one emergency petition wey American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Goment Employees - two unions wey dey represent employees of di agency.

During di hearing, Judge Nichols - wey Trump bin nominate during im first term - bin no be like say im go grant oda requests as part of di court case, including to restore grants and contracts or reopen USAID buildings.

Di legal action argue say di president dey violate US Constitution and federal law by im attempt to dismantle di agency.

"Not one single actions of defendants to dismantle USAID dey happun wit congress authorization," e say.

"And pursuant to federal statute, Congress na di only entity wey fit lawfully dismantle di agency."

Representing Trump administration, justice department official Brett Shumate tell di judge say di president " don decide say dem get corruption and fraud for USAID".

Hours afta Trump enta office on 20 January, im sign executive order stopping all foreign assistance until dem torchlight dem and align dem wit im "America First" policy.

Na dat one lead to stop work order for USAID.

"USAID DEY DRIVE DI RADICAL LEFT CRAZY," Trump post on im Truth Social platform.

"DI CORRUPTION DEY LEVELS WEY DEM HARDLY SEE BEFORE. CLOSE AM DOWN!"

But Samantha Power, wey bin be USAID chief under former President Joe Biden, write for one scathing New York Times opinion piece: "We dey witness one of di worst and most costly foreign policy blunders for US history."

United States na by far di biggest single provider of international development around di world.

USAID budget dey around $40bn - about 0.6% of total US annual goment spending of $6.75tn.

Di head of United Nations programme for tackling HIV/AIDS tell BBC say di cuts go get serious impacts across di globe.

"AIDS related deaths for next five years go increase by 6.3 million" if funding no dey restored, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima say.

For one oda separate case, 19 state attorney generals sue Trump administration afta Doge receive access to Treasury records.

Dem argue say di access for Musk, wey be "special goment employee" and Doge, wey no be official goment department, dey violate federal law.

Early on Saturday, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issue one preliminary order to forbid access and order Musk and im team to immediately destroy any copies of records.

DI conditions go remain until next court hearing on 14 February.