Appeals Court Halts Block on US Institute of Peace Shutdown \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A federal appeals court issued a stay Friday, pausing a lower court order that had blocked the Trump administration from dismantling the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). The three-judge panel ruled the administration’s appeal is likely to succeed, citing the president’s broad executive authority. The stay halts the remaining board and employee reinstatements as litigation continues.
Quick Looks
- Appeals court grants stay of district court order blocking closure of USIP.
- Three-judge panel concludes Trump’s appeal “likely to succeed” and cites executive power.
- White House praises the move as protecting taxpayer interests and efficiency.
- District court previously ruled USIP was independent and its board firing illegal.
- USIP staff and board bid to resume operations now stalled pending further court rulings.
Deep Look
The Trump administration’s campaign to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) took a decisive turn Friday as a federal appeals court granted a stay of a lower court ruling, allowing the government to proceed—at least temporarily—with plans to eliminate the decades-old institution. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit halts U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell’s May order, which had restored USIP’s board and management and blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from asserting control.
The three-judge panel said the Trump administration’s appeal is likely to succeed and that the president would face “irreparable harm from not being able to fully exercise his executive powers” if the lower court’s order remained in effect. Their ruling revives Trump’s February executive order targeting USIP and three other federal entities for closure as part of a broader campaign to streamline government operations and “eliminate underperforming institutions.”
The court’s stay effectively freezes Judge Howell’s finding that USIP is not an executive branch agency and therefore outside the president’s direct control. Howell had concluded that the organization, which Congress created in 1984, was independent and that its board members could not be unilaterally removed by the president. She declared the March 28 mass firing of the board by DOGE and subsequent asset seizures illegal.
But the appeals court disagreed, siding with the government’s argument that USIP’s grant-making, peacebuilding, and policy activities function as extensions of executive branch responsibilities. The court cited the president’s “at-will removal authority” over USIP’s leadership as justification for the administration’s sweeping reorganization.
The Department of Government Efficiency, led until recently by Elon Musk, was assigned to carry out the transition. Musk’s involvement became a national headline after DOGE operatives, with FBI and D.C. police support, forcibly entered the USIP headquarters in March—an unprecedented standoff over control of a federally funded nonprofit. After Howell’s ruling, USIP’s acting president George Moose attempted to restart operations and reassert authority over its D.C. office. The institute issued staff recall notices, but progress has been sluggish due to continued legal uncertainty.
The stay now forces a pause in that reactivation effort. USIP’s global peacebuilding programs—many of which were already suspended—remain frozen, and many employees remain furloughed. In its statement following the appeals court’s action, the organization pledged to continue its legal fight, stating: “We will continue to fight for USIP’s right to fulfill its congressional mandate … and we remain confident we will prevail.”
The case raises significant constitutional questions about the boundaries of executive authority, particularly over federally funded but independently chartered organizations. Howell’s original ruling emphasized the separation between executive and quasi-governmental institutions, but the appeals court’s stay signals a judicial tilt toward broader presidential discretion.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly framed the ruling as a taxpayer victory: “The President has the right to manage entities within the Executive Branch—including the so-called ‘Institute of Peace,’ which cost taxpayers over $50 million per year while failing to deliver peace.” She reiterated the administration’s commitment to its “government efficiency agenda.”
Critics, including former USIP staff and bipartisan foreign policy experts, argue that the institute plays a vital role in conflict prevention, diplomacy training, and non-military U.S. foreign engagement—work that often occurs in volatile regions where diplomatic access is limited. They worry the abrupt shutdown of USIP could create power vacuums in countries where its programs are often the only form of American soft-power presence.
The final outcome remains uncertain. The case will now proceed to full consideration by the appeals court, with the potential for a Supreme Court review depending on the final ruling. For now, the Trump administration has regained control, but the future of USIP remains entangled in one of the most consequential legal battles yet over the reach of executive power during Trump’s renewed tenure in office.
Appeals Court Halts
You must Register or Login to post a comment.