The U.S. Agency for International Development undergoes a dramatic transformation as thousands of employees face an unprecedented countdown to clear their desks.
According to Fox News, USAID posted detailed instructions giving terminated employees strictly regulated time slots to retrieve their personal belongings from the Ronald Reagan Building on February 27 and February 28.
The agency's workforce reduction comes after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under Elon Musk's leadership, revealed the agency's involvement in questionable spending practices worldwide. The massive downsizing has left fewer than 300 employees from what was once a workforce of thousands.
USAID has organized a methodical process for employees to collect their personal items. While time slots range from 60 to 90 minutes overall, workers are limited to approximately 15 minutes within their designated period to gather their belongings. The agency has emphasized that employees must bring their own packing materials and containers.
The retrieval process includes additional requirements beyond the time constraints. Staff members must formally acknowledge receipt of their personal belongings to protect the agency from liability claims. They must also confirm they are not taking any government records, whether physical or electronic.
Employees unable to attend their designated time slots can only send a designated alternate staff member. The agency has explicitly banned visitors and children from entering the building during the retrieval process.
The dramatic reduction in USAID's workforce occurred after investigations revealed several controversial spending decisions. Sen. Joni Ernst, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus, highlighted examples of questionable expenditures in a recently published list.
As stated in the USAID instructions, the agency disclosed:
Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval and must be finished removing items within their time slot only. Staff with a significant amount of personal belongings to retrieve must be cognizant of time; however, flexibility may be granted in select circumstances with the approval of the Office of Security.
The investigation uncovered multiple instances of contentious spending, including $20 million for a Sesame Street production in Iraq and $900,000 allocated to a Gaza-based organization called Bayader Association for Environment and Development.
The Trump administration's decision took effect at midnight on Sunday, placing approximately 1,600 USAID employees on administrative leave globally. The only exceptions were staff working on mission-critical functions, core leadership positions, or specially designated programs.
The General Services Administration will handle uncollected personal items by transferring them to a warehouse for later retrieval. This process applies to belongings not collected during the designated two-day window.
During their final visit to the building, employees must also return all government-furnished equipment issued by USAID. The agency has organized the retrieval process by bureau, with 14 time slots spread across the two days to accommodate 25 different bureaus.
The Trump administration's decision to dramatically reduce USAID's workforce comes after DOGE's investigation revealed questionable spending practices, including a $1.5 million program for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbian workplaces. The transformation of USAID from a large government agency to a streamlined operation with fewer than 300 employees marks a significant shift in U.S. international development policy.
