The Trump administration has reportedly fired a majority of employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) over the weekend, with termination letters landing in personal email accounts starting Friday evening.
Only senior officials and staffers abroad remain employed at the organization that used to tout 300 workers, according to the Associated Press.
“The dismissal of U.S. Institute of Peace employees in the dark of night is unconscionable and deeply troubling. The Institute’s employees are fiercely dedicated to their important work, and they don’t deserve to be treated with such disrespect,” George M. Foote, outside counsel for USIP, said in a statement to The Hill.
“The firings also put at serious risk the safety and welfare of those who work for and with the Institute in countries around the world. This action only adds urgency to the complaint that has been filed to halt and reverse the Administration’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the Institute,” he added.
Earlier this month, a federal judge declined to block the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takeover of USIP while expressing concerns over the manner in which employees were treated.
“I am very offended by how DOGE has operated at the institute and treated American citizens trying to do a job that they were statutorily tasked to do at the institute,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said.
“But that concern about how this has gone down is not one that can sway me in my consideration of the factors for a [temporary restraining order], which is an emergency relief that is extraordinary.”
The national nonpartisan organization created by Congress rejected unannounced visits from DOGE in recent weeks before President Trump dismissed their president and board members, who were replaced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Government officials have argued former employees have no standing to file a lawsuit against their actions to downsize federal entities in an effort to reduce spending levels.
“The former acting president [of USIP], Mr. George E. Moose, no longer has any authority to [file a lawsuit]. Whether Moose’s removal was proper, or not, is not at issue in this suit as Moose is not a party, and no plaintiff purports to assert claims based on supposed injuries to him,” the Trump administration said in its argument against a temporary restraining order.
USIP operates with tax dollars and works to advance U.S. interests by helping to prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad.
A White House spokeswoman told the AP that the institute “has failed to deliver peace.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.