The Institute of Peace vs. the Trump Administration: A Standoff Over Executive Power and the Future of American Diplomacy
On Monday, March 17, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) Headquarters building, resulting in a standoff between USIP, DOGE, and law enforcement. Following these events, USIP has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, DOGE, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and USAID Administrator Kenneth Jackson.
“Attacks culminated in the literal trespass and takeover by force by Defendants, including representatives of DOGE, of the Institute’s headquarters building on Constitution Avenue,” the suit alleges. DOGE gained entrances to the building from a former security guard employed by a private security agency that USIP recently ended their contract with. Employees were forced out of the building while USIP’s leadership barricaded themselves on the building’s fifth floor to resist DOGE’s entry — leading to the law enforcement breaking down the door.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell criticized this move by DOGE. “This conduct of using law enforcement, threatening criminal investigation, using armed law enforcement from three different agencies… why … Just because DOGE is in a rush?”
USIP is a congressionally funded think tank established through an act of Congress in 1984. Its primary purpose is to study peaceful resolutions to global conflicts. The organization’s creation is closely linked to the nuclear standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Since its founding, USIP has worked to protect and promote American values worldwide, utilizing the United States’ soft power and influence to prevent violent conflicts. It is one of several organizations dedicated to advancing peace and democracy. However, this changed when the Trump administration initiated its shutdown in February, deeming the organization “unnecessary.” He ordered its operations to cease and fired 11 of USIP’s board members, citing noncompliance with his executive order.
USIP has not been the only target of the Trump administration. Other congressionally established organizations focused on global peace and foreign policy research, including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which promotes pro-democracy efforts in over 100 countries; the Wilson Center, which specializes in foreign policy research, particularly in Russia and Central Asia; and USAID, have all faced funding freezes, closures, or orders to drastically downsize.
USIP came under scrutiny when The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington that helped shape the current federal government overhaul, criticized USIP last year for its lack of transparency and for favoring Democratic-leaning appointments.
The issue at hand is that, unlike USAID, USIP is not a federal agency under Trump’s direct control. It was created by Congress and is funded by Congress, but it operates as a private nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia. According to the lawsuit, this distinction means DOGE has no legal jurisdiction to enter USIP’s premises or shut down its operations.
Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, responded to these accusations by stating, “The Trump administration will enforce the President’s executive authority and ensure agencies remain accountable to the American people.” She further asserted that the removal of the 11 board members was conducted “legally.”
Judge Howell denied USIP’s request for a temporary restraining order to reinstate members of the board that Trump dismissed. She reasoned that USIP is a “very complicated entity.” USIP has characteristics of a non-governmental organization while also incorporating aspects of a federal agency—such as being subject to Freedom of Information Act requests.
This lawsuit raises a critical constitutional question: how much power does the president have over non-federal agencies? The Trump administration appears willing to push every boundary, testing the limits of executive authority. Until the courts resolve these issues, democracy initiatives have been halted worldwide, peace programs have been paused, and the global influence America once wielded has weakened.
