By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) – A federal judge on Tuesday blocked billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency from taking any more steps to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, saying their efforts to close the agency likely violated the U.S. Constitution.

In a preliminary ruling, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland ordered President Donald Trump’s adviser Musk and DOGE to restore access to USAID’s computer systems for the agency’s direct and contract employees, including thousands who have been placed on leave. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit by current and former employees, one of several currently pending over the rapid dismantling of the foreign aid agency.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)