The US District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday denied a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takeover of the US Institute of Peace (USIP), after DOGE forcibly entered the USIP offices earlier in the week.

Judge Beryl Howell stated that USIP failed to show a sufficient likelihood of success on the merits of the case. Howell said that while on one hand the USIP is statutorily described as “an independent nonprofit corporation,” its leadership is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Thus, despite the events being “deeply troubling,” the court said that the Plaintiffs were not entitled to relief at this time.

After former USIP acting president George Moose refused to vacate the agency’s premises on Monday, DOGE staff assisted in his removal upon entry. In response, the Institute and several former employees filed suit against DOGE and Kenneth Jackson, the new acting president, on Tuesday. The complaint alleged that the terminations were unlawful and that DOGE’s entry into the Institute on Monday was a “literal trespass and takeover.”

The plaintiffs are seeking court intervention to “stop Defendants from completing the unlawful dismantling of the Institute and irreparably impairing Plaintiffs’ ability to perform their vital peace promotion and conflict resolution work as tasked by Congress.” The memo submitted in support of the plaintiffs’ request for a TRO claimed that the “Defendants will irreparably injure the Institute.”

Represenative Don Beyer of Virginia criticized DOGE and Trump stating:

Trump and DOGE grossly overstepped executive authority by using force to break into USIP. Infringing on the rights of private nonprofits is another way this administration is undermining democracy and taking away independence from organizations simply trying to do their jobs.

The USIP incident came only a month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that “Reins in Independent Agencies to Restore a Government that Answers to the American People.” Trump stated that all executive branch officials and employees are subject to his supervision under Article II of the US Constitution.