Federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid leave.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, sided with two federal employee associations in agreeing to a pause in plans to put 2,200 employees on paid leave as of midnight Friday. Nichols stressed his order was not a decision on the employees' request to roll back the administration's swiftly moving destruction of the agency.

If USAID were put under the State Department, it would likely have dramatic consequences for global life-saving aid from the world's largest single donor. One source with knowledge of USAID's workings said the move would be a big departure in particular for the agency's humanitarian operations.

Nearly all of USAID’s global workforce will be laid off, multiple outlets reported Thursday, a move that comes as President Donald Trump and several members of his administration have discussed restructuring or abolishing parts of the foreign aid agency—drawing a lawsuit calling the moves “unconstitutional and illegal.”

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.