Overview

• U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell declared the Trump administration's takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) unlawful, deeming all related actions null and void.
• The ruling invalidates the removal of USIP's board and president, the termination of staff, and the transfer of its $500 million headquarters to the General Services Administration.
• Judge Howell criticized the administration's use of law enforcement to forcibly seize USIP's headquarters, describing it as a 'gross usurpation of power.'
• The court reaffirmed USIP's status as an independent nonprofit established by Congress, beyond the president's unilateral removal authority.
• The Justice Department is considering an appeal while USIP leadership prepares to resume operations and repair the organizational damage.