Trump Administration Accused of Violating Court Order in Seized U.S. Institute of Peace Dispute

One year ago, the Trump administration, alongside members of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), forcibly seized control of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), an independent non-profit organization. Since the unlawful takeover, the group’s ousted board members and former employees have been locked in a protracted legal battle to reclaim their Washington, D.C. headquarters and win back their jobs.

Now, legal representatives for USIP’s ousted leadership and former president have submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) accusing the Trump administration of violating a court-ordered stay by making permanent physical alterations to the building and moving forward with unauthorized new occupancy agreements. The letter specifically requests clarity on whether the State Department has signed a deal to use the facility for the “Board of Peace” — a new international organization that would fall under Donald Trump’s personal lifetime control, with a mandate to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.

“They’re treating the court’s stay as if it gives them free license to use the building, spend USIP funds, and alter the property however they see fit,” said George Foote, legal counsel for USIP’s former leadership and staff. “A stay is not permission for the party that lost the initial ruling to hijack the winning party’s property.”

The conflict dates back to March 17, 2025, when DOGE personnel arrived at USIP’s headquarters and forced their way into the $500 million facility. Shortly after the breach, the Trump administration removed the majority of USIP’s original board. Though USIP was created and receives core funding from Congress, it is structured as an independent entity, not a federal government agency. This status did not stop Trump from issuing an executive order that effectively sought to shutter the original organization.

In May 2025, a lower court ruled that the administration’s seizure of the building and firing of original staff were unlawful. The following month, an appeals court issued a stay on that lower court ruling, returning temporary control of the facility to the administration while the federal appeal process moves forward.

By December 2025, the administration rebranded the building the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, even adding signage bearing Trump’s name to the building’s exterior. Court documents allege that this public rebranding was only the start of unauthorized changes.

According to the letter to DOJ, USIP’s current acting president recently signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Department that will bring hundreds of State Department employees into the USIP building. Under the deal’s terms, the letter claims, the original USIP entity will remain responsible for all building upkeep and security costs, while the State Department will be indemnified against any liability for damage to USIP property. To prepare for the influx of new staff, construction work to reconfigure office spaces inside the building is already underway. The letter argues these renovations could create “substantial, expensive, and unwarranted obstacles” if USIP ultimately regains full control of the property in the final court ruling.

It remains unclear which State Department staff will be housed in the building, but a presentation Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, gave at the World Economic Forum has raised serious alarms among USIP’s former leadership. Kushner, who holds no formal role in the Trump administration, used a slide deck to outline plans for the new Board of Peace and Gaza’s redevelopment, with an image of the USIP building as the presentation’s final slide. The letter asks the federal government to “confirm whether the Administration has plans to house the ‘Board of Peace’ at the USIP headquarters building.”

“The government does not have a license to rename USIP headquarters or lease it out for 10 years. It certainly has no right to open the building to a new international organization like the proposed Board of Peace,” Foote said.

The letter also requests full disclosure of the current balance of USIP’s endowment, with Foote raising concerns that donor funds may be diverted to fund the renovations for the State Department occupancy. “We are concerned our donor money is being used to remodel the building for the State Department’s benefit,” Foote explained.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter’s allegations.