Who is Carl Nichols, judge who extended stay on Trump's order to fire USAID staffers?

The judge handed the administration a setback last week as well by temporarily halting the plans that would have put thousands of workers on leave

US district judge Carl Nichols on Thursday extended a stay on President Donald Trump's order that would leave most USAID employees out of a job, for another week.

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order on reciprocal tariffs in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025. Trump announced that he would impose "reciprocal tariffs" on trading partners, opening new fronts in his trade war. The move would match US tariff rates on imports to the levels that other countries impose on US goods. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)(AFP)

District judge Carl Nichols, extended the pause on Thursday, after a three-hour hearing on how the Donald Trump administrations orders to put thousands of workers on leave and freeze foreign aid funding, would detrimentally affect employees, according to an Associated Press report.

The judge also said that he planned to issue a written ruling soon on whether the pause will continue.

Nichols, who was appointed by Donald Trump, questioned the government's abrupt decision that would leave employees overseas in high-risk situations without homes or agency funding. After not receiving a satisfactory answer, judge Nichols asked for court documents to be filed on the matter after the hearing.

Donald Trump's order would have led to thousands of workers being put on leave, with those overseas only being given 30 days to return to the United States at government expense.

The judge handed the Trump administration a setback last week as well by temporarily halting plans to pull the plug on staff and funding.

Carl Nichols

On June 7, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Nichols to serve as a United States district judge for the district of Columbia. On June 18, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate.

President Trump nominated Nichols to the seat vacated by Richard W. Roberts, who assumed senior status on March 16, 2016. Nichols was nominated and appointed once again in 2019.

Judge Nichols is known for presiding over the 202 Trump v TikTok case and was also the judge for the 2022 trial in which a jury convicted former Trump chief of staff Steve Bannon of contempt of Congress.