Former Institute of Peace Workers Denied Pause on DOGE Takeover

Former US Institute of Peace employees and partners suing the Department of Government Efficiency and other officials lost their bid to temporarily prevent the Trump administration from firing more workers and transferring the organization’s property.

Judge Beryl A. Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia in a Thursday order denied the request for a temporary restraining order, after twice rejecting early injunctive relief in a similar case. The plaintiffs alleged administration officials exceeded their statutory authority when they removed board members and seized control of USIP assets, violating the USIP Act and Administrative Procedure Act.

• Although the executive branch “cannot unilaterally shut down USIP,” Howell said “the record does not support a finding, let alone demonstrate, however, that defendants have done that—at least yet”
• The plaintiffs also failed to demonstrate “concrete or particularized harm” caused by several of the alleged unlawful actions to warrant emergency relief, the judge said
• Howell also declined to “opine further in an emergency posture with incomplete briefing” on whether the board members’ removals were unlawful, given that issue is also being litigated in the other case

Ali & Lockwood LLP and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP represent the plaintiffs.

The case is Pippenger v. US DOGE Serv., D.D.C., No. 1:25-cv-01090, 4/17/25.