Fired US Agency for International Development employees will be “escorted” to their desks and have “15 minutes” to collect personal belongings from the gutted agency’s Washington headquarters later this week, according to a notice from USAID.
USAID posted the “specific instructions” former staffers must follow in order to retrieve personal effects from the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown Washington, DC, on the agency’s website Tuesday.
The agency warned ex-employees that if they don’t show up during assigned timeslots on Thursday or Friday, or designate a staffer to retrieve their belongings, their stuff will be stashed in a government warehouse and could be damaged or lost.
“All staff and their property will undergo magnetometer and x-ray machine screening upon entry,” read the notice. “Staff will then be escorted to their workspace, where they will be permitted to collect their personal items.”
“Staff will be given approximately 15 minutes to complete this retrieval and must be finished removing items within their time slot only,” the agency added. “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.”
USAID noted that “security guards or members of law enforcement” will be present and warned former staffers not to bring “prohibited items,” such as weapons, with them for the pickup.
“Staff MUST bring their own boxes, bags, tape, and/or other containers to remove their personal items; these items will not be provided,” USAID said. “Staff will be permitted to remove personal items only, and may not retrieve or remove any US government created documents, supplies, or other items that are property of the US government.”
“If staff are unable to retrieve their items, and do not wish to have another staff member retrieve items in their absence, personal items will be packed by GSA and sent to a warehouse for collection at a later date and time. GSA cannot guarantee that personal items not claimed during this time will be free from damage or loss, but will take all precautionary measures to safeguard items.”
Last week, several former USAID employees were seen removing their belongings from a different agency office in Washington.
The axed employees were greeted outside the building by a crowd of supporters.
The Trump administration – in an effort led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency – has worked to shutter USAID over allegations that it has wasted taxpayer money.
On Sunday, USAID moved to “implement a Reduction-in-Force that will affect approximately 1,600 USAID personnel” in the US.
The Trump administration is seeking to house the remaining core functions of the agency within the State Department.
