Shredding Documents And Burning Bags: USAID Employees Receive Surprising Directive

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reportedly initiated a document destruction process as part of broader administrative measures for President Donald Trump’s plans to reorganize the federal agency.

An email from Erica Carr, USAID’s acting executive secretary, directs Washington staff to shred and burn various documents, a standard procedure in certain operational contexts. The email was recently disclosed by NBC News. Carr’s instructions told staff to prioritize shredding documents, with burning reserved as a secondary measure when necessary.

“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break,” Carr wrote, NBC News reported.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 11: U.S. President Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shake hands after looking at Tesla vehicles on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Plaintiffs headed by the American Foreign Service Association filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the shredding of the documents.

“Defendants are, as this motion is being filed, destroying documents with potential pertinence to this litigation,” the motion said. “Although Plaintiffs do not know at this moment which records are being destroyed, the destruction of records may severely undermine the agency’s ability to function. For example, destruction of records that contain information about the agency’s operations may make it extraordinarily difficult— if not impossible—to recreate and rebuild agency programming if their lawsuit is successful.”

The Trump administration said that all documents designated for destruction are obsolete and have been thoroughly digitized, aligning with the Federal Records Act of 1950. The space being cleared is reportedly to accommodate new operations by Customs and Border Patrol, with officials saying that no documents pertinent to ongoing legal matters are involved.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who is overseeing the case, delayed his decision on the motion. He mandated that both parties submit a status report by Wednesday morning and outline a proposed timeline for moving forward.

The Trump administration has been taking drastic measures to dismantle USAID, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cited that the agency accounts for $65 billion in federal savings. As part of this restructuring, 1,600 U.S.-based employees were terminated, with plans to slash the global workforce from over 10,000 to just 294. (RELATED: USAID-Linked Ukrainian Group Smeared JD Vance, Tucker Carlson As ‘Foreign Propagandists’)

The massive firing comes after U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols denied unions representing USAID employees a preliminary injunction to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to reorganize the agency, citing insufficient evidence of irreparable harm and recommending resolution through administrative channels. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the helm of these changes, announced the termination of 83% of the agency’s programs after a comprehensive six-week review.

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