Appeals court temporarily halts order finding DOGE 'likely unconstitutional'

A federal appeals court on Tuesday temporarily paused a sweeping ruling that had dealt a major blow to the Department of Government Efficiency, which a lower court found had likely acted unconstitutionally in attempting to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay on U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang’s order, which required USAID to restore access to email and systems for employees placed on leave by DOGE, the government spending hatchet spearheaded by Elon Musk. The temporary hold lasts through Thursday, giving the court time to consider next steps, according to the appeals court’s brief order.