Overview

• President Trump's February executive order reduced the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) to its statutory minimum, removing 11 board members and appointing Kenneth Jackson as acting president.
• USIP staff resisted the takeover by barricading themselves in the building, disabling infrastructure, and distributing fliers labeling DOGE officials as trespassers.
• Law enforcement, including DC Police and the FBI, intervened on March 17 to assist DOGE in gaining access to USIP headquarters after initial resistance from staff.
• Federal Judge Beryl Howell criticized DOGE's methods but ruled that USIP's lawsuit failed to demonstrate irreparable harm needed for a temporary restraining order.
• The Trump administration defended the actions as lawful and necessary to align the congressionally funded institute with executive directives, intensifying debates over federal governance and institutional independence.