Just when you thought the chaos level couldn’t get any worse, the Trump administration strikes again. At a recent major human rights conference in Taipei, representatives from nonprofit organizations learned that nearly 10,000 contracts and grants from the US State Department were getting thrown in the garbage overnight. That’s right, about 90 percent of USAID’s contracts went up in smoke, courtesy of the trumped-up Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

For those who haven’t been paying attention, thanks to the onslaught of bad news, you might not realize how catastrophic this is for global democracy-building efforts. These funds supported crucial services, including medical assistance, cybersecurity for journalists, and advocacy for human rights. Yes, those grants were literally saving lives.

A letter from USAID informed grantees to drop everything and cease operations immediately. Meanwhile, digital rights organizations at RightsCon reported a total meltdown, where the digital security landscape for NGOs vanished faster than a latte on a Monday morning. Mohammed Al-Maskati, director of Access Now, poignantly stated, “The digital security ecosystem has collapsed totally for NGOs”.

The real kicker? Even organizations managing to claw their way to continued funding now face a slew of new hoops to jump through. They’ll need to comply with an executive order pushed by the Trump administration that mandates they toe the line when it comes to anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. Fail to follow this new directive? Well, good luck, because that could mean financial ruin.

In the confusion following these cuts, some organizations received erroneous notices claiming their grants were still safe, which only added to the pandemonium. Amidst the chaos, it’s unclear which organizations dodged the budgetary bullet and why.

At RightsCon, anxiety loomed large, with groups rushing between closed-door meetings trying to strategize how to cope with unprecedented funding gaps. Nonprofits supporting vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals and religious minorities, are particularly at risk. The fallout from these cuts is not just financial; it threatens the very foundations of civil society in repressive regimes.

So, why is this happening again? Because the Trump administration sees all foreign aid as a waste of taxpayer dollars, even though it typically makes up less than 1 percent of the US federal budget. But if there’s anything we know, it’s that bad decisions tend to ripple far beyond the initial wave. Get ready for a bumpy ride, folks.

The world is watching, and the consequences will not stay contained.