Judge to Temporarily Block Trump Admin From Placing USAID Employees on Leave

WASHINGTON—A federal judge said he will issue a temporary injunction halting mandatory administrative leave for nearly all employees of the U.S. Agency for International Aid (USAID). Judge Carl Nichols ordered that USAID employees not be placed on leave at 11:59 p.m. Friday while legal challenges are pending. Nichols stated that it was a “very limited” restraining order. He said he will formally issue the order this evening. The petition for the temporary restraining order was filed at noon on Feb. 7 and the government had no time to submit a brief. The judge characterized the case as an employer–employee dispute but found that some of the plaintiffs’ arguments about irreparable harm were valid....