‘Fired me illegally’: Emotional ex-USAID employees leave building with belongings after mass layoffs

Former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employees were seen collecting their belongings and exiting the federal building a final time following a slew of layoffs, video obtained by Fox News Digital showed.

Dozens of individuals gathered outside the USAID building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to support the ex-USAID employees who were recently placed on leave, holding signs that read “you’re not the federal worker that should be fired” and “make America compassionate again.”

The ex-USAID employees were met by supporters outside protesting the layoffs, carrying their belongings and flowers as they left the building together in a line.

“DOGE fired me illegally, and all I got was this stupid sign,” one employee’s poster read.

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Former employees of USAID leave the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. The layoffs come after DOGE’s analysis of the organization and recommendation for mass layoffs. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Workers and supporters were seen getting emotional as the former employees left the building, images captured by Fox News Digital showed.

The slew of layoffs came after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, conducted a sweep of the agency and recommended cuts after identifying “wasteful” spending on programs and initiatives around the world.

Following the DOGE probe, the Trump administration placed nearly 1,600 USAID employees on administrative leave globally on Sunday.

Former employees of USAID leave the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Those fired or placed on administrative leave were given two days, Thursday and Friday, to enter the building and collect their belongings, according to instructions from USAID.

Employees were given about 15 minutes to collect personal belongings from their workspaces.

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Former employees of USAID leave the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

“Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval, and must be finished removing items within their time slot only,” USAID stated in their instructions. 

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“Staff with a significant amount of personal belongings to retrieve must be cognizant of time; however, flexibility may be granted in select circumstances with the approval of the Office of Security,” the agency said.

USAID did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.