The Trump administration’s aggressive move to dismantle the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) was just declared “unlawful” by a federal judge—marking a major legal setback for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and igniting controversy over executive authority and congressional oversight.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell issued the ruling Monday, blasting the administration’s effort to gut the peace-focused institution without congressional approval. The court found that DOGE’s removal of USIP’s president and mass termination of staff was carried out by officials who were not lawfully appointed.

“In a drastic and abrupt change of course,” Howell wrote, “the current Administration decided to effectuate the President’s Executive Order 14217 through blunt force,” accusing the administration of relying on law enforcement from multiple agencies to seize control of the building and enforce the order.

The executive order in question, signed by President Trump in February, declared USIP “unnecessary” and moved to reduce its operations to the bare minimum. The administration argued the agency had outlived its usefulness, citing redundancy and waste, and moved quickly to remove board members and slash staffing. But Judge Howell found the actions violated both statutory law and the Constitution.

“The President second-guessed the judgment of Congress and President Reagan in creating USIP 40 years ago,” Howell wrote, referencing the institution’s founding under Ronald Reagan in 1984. “The unilateral actions were taken without asking Congress to cease or reprogram appropriations or by recommending that Congress enact a new law to dissolve or reduce the Institute.”

The court’s ruling also reinstated George Moose as acting president of the Institute, rejecting DOGE’s attempt to install its own leadership. Howell emphasized that the USIP, despite being federally funded, operates independently of the Executive Branch—meaning its leadership cannot be removed unilaterally by the president.

The ruling comes just two months after what insiders described as a “dramatic showdown” at USIP headquarters. Employees were reportedly locked out of the building after DOGE officials, with law enforcement backup, forcibly occupied the facility and laid off staff en masse. The event made headlines at the time but now appears to have triggered a major judicial rebuke.

The Institute of Peace was created by Congress to promote conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and diplomacy through research and partnerships. Its defenders argue the institute has played a crucial role in global stability efforts and shouldn’t be a casualty of government streamlining. Critics on the right, however, have long viewed the organization as a taxpayer-funded think tank with minimal accountability and little return on investment.

DOGE, a Trump-era agency designed to identify and eliminate waste across the federal government, has slashed dozens of programs since January. Its defenders say it’s simply fulfilling the president’s mandate to “drain the swamp.” But this ruling may place limits on how far the administration can go without working through Congress.

While the administration has not yet said whether it will appeal the decision, legal analysts suggest the ruling could set an important precedent on the separation of powers—especially when it comes to congressionally chartered institutions.

For now, USIP remains open, and its leadership reinstated. But the battle is far from over. As Trump continues reshaping the federal government around efficiency and constitutional boundaries, clashes like this one may only intensify. And in the process, the courts are being asked to decide just how far a president can go in the name of reform.