A federal judge ruled on Monday that the US Institute of Peace (USIP)’s acquisition by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was unlawful, rendering it “null and void.”
US District Judge Beryl Howell found that President Trump and his associates employed “brute force” to take control of USIP’s headquarters, even attempting to dismantle the Independent Institute despite clear warnings that it was not subject to such administrative actions.
The judge also reinstated the USIP Board members and their president, effectively overturning DOGE’s appointments. This action halted the intended move of USIP headquarters to the General Services Agency (GSA) and returned control back to USIP. Any financial assets transferred from USIP to GSA were ruled invalid.
Additionally, Howell explicitly prohibited DOGE and other Trump administration officials from accessing USIP property or engaging in “trespassing” within the organization’s structure.
“In violation of laws established by Congress and amidst threats from local and federal law enforcement, the President’s attempt to commandeer organizations like USIP signifies a serious overreach of power that has unnecessarily distressed dedicated leadership and USIP staff,” she noted in her comprehensive 102-page opinion.
The Independent Institute, along with several former board members, had taken legal action against DOGE and other Trump officials back in March, alleging that these individuals were trying to disrupt their mission to promote peace, a task designated by Congress.
Institute attorney Andrew Goldfarb remarked at the time that DOGE seemed intent on dismantling an organization created to mediate and prevent violent conflicts, “essentially on a whim.”
In March, the Trump administration had terminated several members of the USIP board and appointed State Department official Kenneth Jackson as the new president, after which DOGE attempted to assert control over the headquarters.
Court documents indicated that early on, during an attempt to enter the building with two FBI agents, DOGE was thwarted. Later, the agents notably tried to gain entrance by visiting the private residence of the Institute’s Security Director. External legal representatives for the Institute faced threats of criminal investigations for their refusals.
Days later, multiple law enforcement agencies—including the DC Metropolitan Police, State Department Police, and the FBI—arrived to assist DOGE in gaining access to the building. Officials from a security firm previously contracted by USIP supplied keys for access, seemingly under duress over the risk of losing future government contracts, even though the existing contract had been terminated.
Howell characterized the restrictions Congress placed on the President’s ability to remove USIP board members as a “frontal constitution,” stating that DOGE’s removals and replacements, directed by Trump’s executive order, stemmed from an “illegally incorporated leader who lacks the legal authority to take these actions.”
The judge mentioned that no prior court had defined how USIP fits within the constitutional framework, a decision that may impact whether Trump’s removal authority can be applied to independent agencies. She concluded that while the Institute should be regarded as part of the federal government, it would not wield its power to enforce government mandates.
The Institute was among several smaller entities targeted by the Trump administration, which also included the Inter-US Foundation and the US African Development Foundation, both of which sued in response to inquiries over bureaucratic reductions outlined in a February 19 executive order.
