For Immediate Release
February 5, 2025
Contact: Communications Director Nikki Gamer | Cell #: (978) 884-0003 | gamer@afsa.org

Washington, D.C. – The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) strongly objects to the administration’s sudden and unnecessary decision to recall all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Foreign Service personnel from overseas. This reckless move, coupled with the closure of USAID offices worldwide, weakens America’s presence abroad, strips oversight from $40 billion in taxpayer funds, undermines national security amid rising global instability, and upends the lives of more than 1,400 USAID Foreign Service officers—punishing dedicated public servants and hurting their families for simply doing their jobs.

USAID officers are nonpartisan public servants and dedicated professionals who work on the front lines of global humanitarian crises, often in dangerous and high-risk environments. The USAID Memorial Wall, bearing the names of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country, stands as a testament to their commitment. The programs they implement play a critical role in countering violent extremism, reducing migration, and preventing the spread of public health emergencies. Removing them without a clear plan will not only create instability but also cede ground to strategic competitors like China.

Beyond the damage to U.S. interests abroad, this decision will impose an enormous financial and logistical burden—costing American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars and overwhelming the personnel system responsible for managing the evacuation.

In response to this drastic move, AFSA plans to take legal action in the days ahead.

The Foreign Service is a pillar of U.S. global leadership. Weakening it only weakens America.

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is the professional association and labor union of the men and women of the United States Foreign Service.