On Monday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration’s bid to take over the U.S. Institute of Peace earlier this year was an “unlawful” overreach. This resulted in “illegitimately-installed leaders” being placed in positions of power who “lacked legal authority” to dismiss employees—though they did so anyway.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, in a 102-page memorandum opinion, stated, “The President second-guessed the decisions made by Congress and President Reagan 40 years ago when they established USIP, as well as the decisions of every Congress since then… in funding USIP, when he declared the organization ‘unnecessary’ three months ago.” The judge declared all actions by government officials involved “null and void” as of Monday.

Along with the opinion, Howell in an order granted USIP’s motion for summary judgment and denied the government’s cross-motion for summary judgment.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) carried out the “illegal takeover” of the USIP building in Washington, D.C., in mid-March, according to officials who worked there and members of Congress. George Moose, the institute’s former president, was allegedly fired the week before it happened as DOGE preceded the takeover with attempts to “eliminate” institute staff — including board members — and other agencies involved in foreign assistance work.

USIP filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief on March 18, and then a motion for summary judgment on April 4.

Trump and his “subordinates,” Powell wrote in her ruling Monday, “used brute force and threats of criminal process to take over USIP’s headquarters, despite being cautioned that this organization did not fall within the Executive branch and its leadership was not subject to the President’s unilateral Executive branch removal power. This Administration then went even further, taking severe actions to dissemble USIP, including terminating its appointed Board members, its expert management, its dedicated staff and contractors located in both Washington, D.C. and around the world, and dispersing its assets and headquarters building. These actions against USIP were unlawful.”

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The “unlawful” actions undertaken “at the direction of the President to reduce USIP to its ‘statutory minimums,’” Howell wrote — which she noted included “the removal of USIP’s president, his replacement by officials affiliated with DOGE, the termination of nearly all of USIP’s staff, and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration (GSA)” — were “effectuated by illegitimately-installed leaders who lacked legal authority to take these actions, which must therefore be declared null and void.”

A trio of former board chairs called on Congress in a letter on May 7 to “defend USIP from elimination and to continue the decades-long tradition of bipartisan support for the Institute.”

The letter, which was obtained by Law&Crime, said: “Given the actions of the last month, we must again appeal to the body that first gave the Institute life, and request that Congress reenergize its tradition of bipartisan support for USIP. Even victory in the courts will be hollow if the Institute does not have the backing of lawmakers to pick up the pieces and get back to its important work. We call on Congress to do the right thing in the interests of preventing war and building peace.”