A federal judge has ruled that actions taken by the Trump administration concerning the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and its subsequent gutting were unlawful.
The ruling, which declared these actions “null and void,” marks another setback for President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, which, under the leadership of Trump advisor Elon Musk, has sought to reduce the federal government’s size and scope.
This decision came shortly after DOGE team members took control of USIP’s headquarters with assistance from law enforcement, an action triggered by an executive order from Trump labeling the independent, congressionally established organization as “unnecessary.”
Following the takeover, DOGE replaced George Moose, the acting president of USIP, with its own officials and terminated nearly all of USIP’s staff. The administration also removed the board members appointed to oversee the institute.
In her decision issued on Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., Judge Beryl Howell ordered Moose’s reinstatement, labeling the officials who assumed his position as “illegitimately installed.”
Howell stated that the administration’s drastic measures to dismantle USIP, including the termination of its appointed board and staff, as well as the disposal of its assets, were unlawful.
She emphasized that “Congress’s restrictions on the President’s removal power of USIP Board members are squarely constitutional.”
Further detailing the administration’s tactics, Howell noted that Trump had resorted to force and “threats of criminal process” to gain control over USIP’s headquarters, despite the agency’s independence from the executive branch.
“USIP supports both the Executive and Legislative branches as an independent think tank that carries out its own international peace research, education, and training, and information services,” Howell explained.
She concluded that the agency’s status outside of the executive branch essentially negates any claim the President might have had concerning its oversight. “As explained earlier, the President has no constitutional removal authority outside of the Executive branch. President Trump’s removal of the ten board members here was thus unlawful,” she wrote.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment regarding Howell’s decision at the time of reporting.
USIP had previously requested Howell in March to intervene and block DOGE’s efforts to shutter the organization. At that time, Howell dismissed the request for a temporary restraining order, describing USIP as a “very complicated entity.”
