Packing their bags <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbOny1slKSeuHOxMPebTf_AU0sMBX7-lifr_Och9Ts52KHcv9n0bb5n-AW6LzDNQDeBoUhvLdFSA4mohA9ivQ-Um4HR46VsriDWinD1Y9-GWPdvHkGypRrfHo2jv8p3k_ZBMKUDfUVyBipG_YOgT0FY7HYR_N5AhWfEQCC3GB1T-MVM3q7zVvVwGns7v0y0uohNFR_kDtF1suWEMjYp8kF8Xh7vqu9rw2EmJEEqXHfMxrA==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESQdVNERb7c_7Daw_jHTaaSZdeHHGNYZHelJMm2UKCWaqpMJc99nrMslZ0-_4M0lw3Mw=> It’s truly the end of an era. With the Trump administration having dismantled USAID, all of the agency’s career diplomats and their families are being called back to the U.S. by Aug. 15 <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbOny1slKSeuHOxMPebTf_AU0sMBX7-lifr_Och9Ts52KHcv9n0bb5n-AW6LzDNQDeBoUhvLdFSA4mohA9ivQ-Um4HR46VsriDWinD1Y9-GWPdvHkGypRrfHo2jv8p3k_ZBMKUDfUVyBipG_YOgT0FY7HYR_N5AhWfEQCC3GB1T-MVM3q7zVvVwGns7v0y0uohNFR_kDtF1suWEMjYp8kF8XvW6GUpeemVKAZiw2vbfNqg==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESQdVNERb7c_7Daw_jHTaaSZdeHHGNYZHelJMm2UKCWaqpMJc99nrMslZ0-_4M0lw3Mw=>, and for some, even earlier. This marks a massive shake-up, as many of these people have spent years abroad, deeply embedded in their host communities, making lifesaving impacts through USAID's global programs — the majority of which have been slashed. Now they’re uprooting their lives, too. Meanwhile, *the agency needs to sever ties with all local hires by Aug. 15*, per a recent leadership email from USAID. The State Department will take over what’s left of the foreign aid programs, but it’s still up in the air when and how they’ll start hiring for these roles, and who gets to stay on. Now, USAID workers are busy winding down operations, managing program transitions, and some restarting initiatives that were previously cut. It’s a big “final mission” as *they prepare to either move back to the U.S. or hang in limbo*, hoping for a chance to continue their work. “It’s mind blowing,” one USAID worker stationed abroad tells Devex Senior Reporter Sara Jerving. And it’s not just a straightforward pack-your-bags homecoming. The repatriation process itself is a byproduct of earlier Trump administration plans, which were delayed by lawsuits <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POp_Hs-eLlqXZ5H-RoYouktitCnWCmMEP8-m48foMID3686ltUh8jm5RC8lu9d21-FyWSeWmv0Hymj4pnz9Fxz7i2YOo8twTWnh__Z1RIZjHqjAUCizgRMUXUCqzzk4fvQtRIupuqJmjT3Y2WmD3atxSD5cuxLIwEHQwp7eCm_cQMxUcR1KAqXeLuvUZpzslgVj6a9kKN84HffJhUuLYlIB4FLTopd-bFQYBPpqwPCitHwuYX09LlUSRaiVdG5cJdWw==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESQdVNERb7c_7Daw_jHTaaSZdeHHGNYZHelJMm2UKCWaqpMJc99nrMslZ0-_4M0lw3Mw=> from the American Foreign Service Association and others, citing risks from such “chaotic” changes. The layoffs are staggering — *staff must be out of their host countries by their termination date* to avoid personal costs and legal hassles, as USAID folk will lose their diplomatic status post-termination. To those on the ground, it’s more than just a job shift; it’s about ensuring their monumental efforts don’t just evaporate. As they coordinate handovers, there’s palpable concern that the *State Department might not yet be up to the task*, lacking both the technical know-how and the local presence essential for these complex programs. *Read more:* USAID foreign officers to be repatriated, local staff fired by Aug. 15 <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POlEl9RSRUZlYbrmNpaBWzbOny1slKSeuHOxMPebTf_AU0sMBX7-lifr_Och9Ts52KHcv9n0bb5n-AW6LzDNQDeBoUhvLdFSA4mohA9ivQ-Um4HR46VsriDWinD1Y9-GWPdvHkGypRrfHo2jv8p3k_ZBMKUDfUVyBipG_YOgT0FY7HYR_N5AhWfEQCC3GB1T-MVM3q7zVvVwGns7v0y0uohNFR_kDtF1suWEMjYp8kF8XG2jyIz3eLM805UkhEYtZ6Q==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESQdVNERb7c_7Daw_jHTaaSZdeHHGNYZHelJMm2UKCWaqpMJc99nrMslZ0-_4M0lw3Mw=>