The Hill published on 22 July 2026 a commentary titled "The Dismantling of USAID and the Firing of Its Staff Was Illegal" by J. Brian Atwood and Kevin E. Burns.
The Trump administration has violated the Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, updated in 1978, by firing most USAID personnel without offering an opportunity for due process.
The Merit Systems Protection Board ruled that the president can remove career officials without due process. Fired USAID employees are appealing this decision through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
