Appeals court rules DOGE can continue operating at USAID in another win for Trump administration

Friday's decision extends the stay until the appeal is resolved.

Actions the employees and contractors alleged were unconstitutional were within both agency discretion and the president's authority to direct foreign policy, the administration argued.

The district court granted the employees and contractors' requested preliminary injunction, blocking DOGE from operating at USAID, finding the administration "likely" violated the Constitution, and the pause was in the public interest. 

It later clarified Lewin, who led the USAID DOGE team prior to the injunction, could no longer do his job as chief operating officer at USAID and declined to grant any modifications. 

The Trump administration appealed the district court's preliminary injunction and the denial of its motion for clarification or modification. It also filed an emergency motion to stay the injunction pending the appeal.

U.S. Court of Appeals Circuit judges Arthur Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. and Judge Paul V. Niemeyer found Friday that Musk and DOGE "made a strong showing that they are likely to succeed on the merits of the appeal, that they will be irreparably injured absent the stay," according to court documents.

Further, Quattlebaum and Niemeyer found the stay "favors the public interest."

The ruling marked the third temporary win Friday for the Trump administration at the federal appeals court level.