Trump administration carries out mass layoffs of employees at US Institute of Peace - WP

Employees of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) tell the American newspaper that between 200 and 300 people - almost the entire headquarters staff - are fired.

According to them, some employees receive severance pay and one more month of health insurance in exchange for signing a waiver of their right to sue.

Employees of USIP call the mass layoffs Friday's massacre after receiving termination notices via email late that night.

USIP downsizing

This downsizing of USIP happens as part of President Donald Trump's administration's efforts to reduce the government and cut expenses. The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, handles the matter.

The head of the American state gives the businessman broad authority to cut federal spending and lay off tens of thousands of government employees.

These actions are currently being challenged in at least 10 lawsuits in the US.

What the US Institute of Peace does

The institute, funded by the US Congress, has a total staff of about 600 people in offices worldwide.

It plays an active role in negotiating peace agreements and assisting war-affected countries and regions in implementing these agreements and rebuilding. Its work extends to the Philippines, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Ukraine.

Lawsuits from USIP staff

According to The Washington Post, USIP leadership initially tried to convince DOGE representatives that, as a registered nonprofit organization, its staff and programs were off-limits to Musk’s elimination campaign.

This month, the Institute and its dismissed board members filed their own lawsuit against DOGE, its representatives, Trump, and members of his cabinet. The lawsuit argues that the executive branch had no authority to fire USIP leadership and staff since the Institute was created by the legislative branch. It also claims that the administration had no right to seize the Institute’s privately owned headquarters.

Arguments in the case are scheduled for April, with hearings expected later in the month.

A federal judge condemned the process by which the administration took control of USIP but denied the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order.

According to The Washington Post, by Saturday, the dismissed USIP staff had already begun discussing filing a class-action lawsuit.

In February, it was reported that the Trump administration had dismissed employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the agency responsible for managing the country’s nuclear arsenal.

Recently, the Trump administration filed an appeal against the reinstatement of thousands of federal employees who were dismissed as part of a government workforce reduction program.