Dozens of USAID staffers and spouses in high-risk pregnancies face life-threatening delays in medical evacuations amid the Trump administration’s abrupt agency restructuring, court documents reveal. At least 25 employees stationed in unstable regions report being stranded without critical care as funding freezes and staffing cuts paralyze operations.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols criticized the administration’s chaotic handling of USAID dismantling during hearings this week.
This is a mess,Nichols stated, referencing testimony about workers abandoned during political evacuations in Congo and left with $30,000+ in unpaid hotel bills.
Affidavits describe dire scenarios:
- A pregnant USAID worker in Africa with hypertension fears life-threateningcomplications if evacuation stalls
- A spouse hemorrhaging in a foreign hospital required senatorial intervention for delayed evacuation approval
- Staffers in conflict zones lost access to emergency panic buttonapps during security threats
The administration claims it’s prioritizing employee safety while terminating wastefulprograms. However, USAID’s payment systems remain disabled, halting even the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – credited with saving 20 million lives. Two officials confirmed Ebola response teams and disaster relief units are also understaffed.
If I cannot medevac as planned, I will die here,wrote one anonymous staffer in court filings. Employees risk dismissal for speaking publicly about unpaid bills, abandoned homes, and severed communications.
Judge Nichols’ pending ruling on maintaining staffing freezes could determine whether thousands lose jobs within 30 days. Legal experts warn the case may set precedents for federal agencies’ duty of care during geopolitical transitions.