WASHINGTON D.C. – A federal court in Maryland today certified a nationwide class in the lawsuit challenging the unconstitutional shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by Elon Musk, DOGE and other Trump Administration actors. Last week U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang also rejected the government’s motion to dismiss the case. The case, which was the first asserting Musk’s actions violate the United States Constitution’s Appointments Clause, will now continue, including proceeding with discovery.

In certifying the nationwide class, the court described how the allegations establish “an explicit, overarching policy to eliminate and shut down USAID as an independent agency, which necessarily impacted all personnel in that everyone would eventually lose their positions at the agency.”

The lawsuit challenges Elon Musk’s unlawful control over key government functions, in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Appointments Clause, alongside separation-of-powers claims. Among the allegedly unlawful actions: suspending federal contracts and salaries, issuing agency-wide directives without legal authority, and dismantling USAID entirely.

"Today’s ruling is another important step towards accountability on behalf of the thousands whose lives and work have been upended by Musk and Trump’s callous dismantling of USAID, " said Tianna Mays, legal director for Democracy Defenders Fund. "This was an unconstitutional power grab and it is essential that the Trump administration answers for it.”

"By certifying a nationwide class, the court has affirmed the enormous harm caused by this unprecedented violation of the Appointments Clause and separation of powers that caused the dismantling of USAID,” said Mimi Marziani of Marziani, Stevens & Gonzalez PLLC. “This ruling affirms that our clients are entitled to pursue justice, together, against these constitutional violations.”

You can read the order here and opinion here.

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