Outside the headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington DC

The US media reported that a district court in the US state of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction on March 18. The judge ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s dissolution of USAID may violate the Constitution.

DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has terminated most USAID programs and laid off many employees as part of an effort to streamline the federal government.

The judge said DOGE and Mr Musk had stripped lawmakers of their “constitutional authority to decide whether, when and how to close down a congressionally created agency”.

The lawsuit, filed by USAID employees and others, argues that Musk and DOGE lack the authority to dissolve the agency that oversees foreign aid programs.

After the ruling was made, President Donald Trump told Fox News on March 18: “I guarantee you we will appeal.”