The Trump administration’s sudden decision to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has left thousands of American employees and their families stationed abroad in turmoil, forcing them to make costly and difficult decisions about their futures.
On Friday, a U.S. judge issued a "very limited" temporary order to block aspects of the administration’s changes, but the fate of USAID personnel remains unclear.
Among those affected are pregnant women who had planned to return to the U.S. for their deliveries, as well as families who will now be forced to return home without housing or schooling arrangements for their children.
"We have dedicated our lives to this mission, and now we have nowhere to go back to," said the spouse of a USAID employee based in Latin America. "We don’t know how we’re supposed to just pick up and leave."
The remarks were shared during an online briefing hosted by StandUpForAID, a group of current and former USAID officials raising awareness about the consequences of the Trump administration’s decision. Many speakers requested anonymity due to fears of retaliation.
President Trump froze U.S. foreign assistance upon taking office on January 20, halting billions of dollars in funding for food, health, and humanitarian programs. The spending freeze, initially set for 90 days, is part of a broader review aimed at ensuring efficiency and alignment with Trump’s foreign policy.
USAID, the leading U.S. humanitarian agency with over 10,000 employees—including 1,900 Americans posted abroad—was the first target of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which seeks to significantly downsize federal agencies.
The U.S. Department of State has not yet responded to requests for comment.
More than a dozen pregnant USAID employees and spouses, who had planned to fly home at the agency’s expense, are now stranded overseas, according to a USAID worker.
"We are unsure if Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump will abandon us overseas or abandon us when we land on American soil," she said. "We have been told there is no money to assist U.S. families awaiting the arrival of their infants with resettlement in the United States."
She further stated that USAID’s employment terms provide for 60 days of government-funded housing upon repatriation under an evacuation order, but that commitment is now in question.
Another USAID official, placed on administrative leave on Friday, told Reuters she had to scramble to change her delivery location to secure a State Department-arranged medical evacuation. The State Department could not guarantee her medical costs would be covered beyond March 9—the deadline set for repatriating all USAID personnel overseas—leaving her in financial uncertainty.
Reuters could not verify the exact number of affected pregnant employees and spouses. However, in a Wednesday meeting with staff at the U.S. embassy in Guatemala City, Rubio—who now serves as acting USAID administrator—acknowledged that several USAID members were in their third trimester and that the recall had disrupted their lives, according to a transcript reviewed by Reuters.
Despite the upheaval, the administration announced late Thursday that 611 essential USAID employees would remain in their roles, according to a notice obtained by Reuters. Originally, more than two-thirds of USAID’s workforce—most of whom are stationed overseas—were ordered to pack up and return home by Friday. That directive was later revised, setting the new deadline for March 9.