Up First from NPR
Foreign Aid Terminated, Migrants At Guantánamo, Legal Challenges To Federal Firings
Thu, 27 Feb 2025
The Trump administration says it will end more than 90 percent of the U.S. Agency for International Development's foreign aid contracts. NPR spoke to two immigrants sent to Guantánamo who allege mistreatment by detainment officers, and a federal judge will hear arguments over the Trump administration's firing of probationary employees.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Jane Greenhalgh, Anna Yukhananov, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams, and Paige Waterhouse. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: What changes are happening to USAID's foreign aid programs?
I'm Michelle Martin, that's A. Martinez, and this is Up First from NPR News. Two Venezuelan men who were detained at Guantanamo for weeks till NPR, they were denied access to lawyers and calls to family.
That's very different from how immigration detention is typically done.
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TNCs apply. The Trump administration is terminating nearly all foreign assistance programs run by the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.
The move effectively guts the six-decade-old agency, which worked to prevent the spread of disease and eliminate poverty and other programs in more than 120 countries.
NPR global health correspondent Fatma Tanis joins us now with the details. Fatma, tell us what happened.
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Chapter 2: Why are USAID's program cuts concerning for global health?
hunger prevention, supporting human rights. And the same process has happened over at the State Department, where most foreign assistance grants, around 4,100, have been cut. The State Department says they've saved about $60 billion, which is around 1% of the overall federal budget.
Okay. Now, as far as programs go, do we know what kind of programs have been cut?
Well, we don't have a full picture. The State Department says that programs that the USAID is keeping includes food and life-saving assistance for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Secretary Rubio had issued a waiver for those after the stop-work order paused all existence foreign aid programs.
But we're hearing from aid groups and NGOs that life-saving humanitarian programs, including ones that provide HIV medications, have been terminated. So have programs providing vaccination for polio. And it seems like some of those termination notices have gone out in haste because some groups received them twice. Now, one example I can tell you about a program that's been cut is in Nigeria.
It provided clean water for people who were displaced because of attacks by the militant group Boko Haram.
So what's been the reaction to all this?
One humanitarian official told me, quote, this is a global health massacre. That person was not authorized to speak on behalf of their organization. Now, USAID staff and aid groups are worried that cuts to USAID's programs will lead to loss of life, like in Sudan, where hunger is widespread. And over 1,000 kitchens supported by USAID have closed.
Also, children around the world who are receiving treatment for acute malnutrition, they've not been getting their medication and are at risk of dying.
So where does this leave the agency USAID?
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Chapter 3: What are the allegations from migrants detained at Guantánamo?
The government was given a deadline to make those payments by midnight yesterday, but the Supreme Court intervened and extended the deadline.
All right. That's NPR's global health correspondent, Fatma Tanis. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Beatings, mistreatment, and constant frisks.
That's what immigrants detained at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay say they experienced during the two weeks they were detained there earlier this month.
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Chapter 4: Who are the Venezuelan men affected by the detainment?
Chapter 5: How are legal challenges playing out for federal employee dismissals?
Are the detainees being treated fairly? And labor unions representing thousands of laid off federal employees are challenging their dismissals in court.
These are hardworking individuals. Not only are these just people who have a job, they're people who want to make this country better.
Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.
This message comes from Wise, the app for doing things in other currencies. Sending or spending money abroad? Hidden fees may be taking a cut. With Wise, you can convert between up to 40 currencies at the mid-market exchange rate. Visit wise.com.
TNCs apply. The Trump administration is terminating nearly all foreign assistance programs run by the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID.
The move effectively guts the six-decade-old agency, which worked to prevent the spread of disease and eliminate poverty and other programs in more than 120 countries.
NPR global health correspondent Fatma Tanis joins us now with the details. Fatma, tell us what happened.
So the State Department says it's reviewed over 6,000 of USAID's foreign assistant grants, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to terminate nearly all of them, quote, as part of the America First agenda. Only 500 grants will be continued. Now, those grants funded all kinds of humanitarian and development projects aimed at disease control, migration prevention.
hunger prevention, supporting human rights. And the same process has happened over at the State Department, where most foreign assistance grants, around 4,100, have been cut. The State Department says they've saved about $60 billion, which is around 1% of the overall federal budget.
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