USAID website goes offline as Trump administration freezes foreign aid

By Merve Berker

The official website of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) went offline Saturday as the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid continued, causing widespread furloughs and program closures, according to press reports.

The move comes amid growing concerns that the administration may be planning to dissolve USAID as an independent agency and merge it into the State Department.

Congressional Democrats argue that the president lacks the legal authority to eliminate a congressionally funded agency, while Republicans insist that much of US foreign aid is wasteful.

The Trump administration placed a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance on Jan. 20, shutting down thousands of humanitarian, development, and security programs globally.

While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has allowed some life-saving emergency aid to continue, aid groups say uncertainty over which programs are still operational has caused disruption in global relief efforts.

USAID, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to counter Soviet influence, has played a central role in US foreign policy.

The freeze has sparked bipartisan debate, with Republicans seeking to shift more control to the State Department, while Democrats push to preserve the agency’s independence.

The General Accounting Office previously ruled that similar attempts by the Trump administration to withhold appropriated foreign aid funds violated the Impoundment Control Act.

The review of USAID programs is expected to continue in the coming weeks.