Members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency entered the U.S. Institute of Peace’s offices on Monday after several unsuccessful attempts in what the independent think tank calls an illegal break-in.

Institute CEO George Moose confirmed the entrance of DOGE employees Monday night, posting on social media that “DOGE has broken into our building.”

DOGE members appeared outside USIP offices Monday afternoon with a security team. The DOGE workers requested access to the building but were turned away by USIP lawyers. The workers did not enter the building until the Metropolitan Police arrived and assisted. USIP employees had called D.C. police on Monday, reporting that the DOGE workers were trespassing.

According to reports, several USIP officials, including Mr. Moose, were escorted out of the building on Monday. Shortly thereafter, a hastily created sign appeared on the organization’s doors, informing passersby that the building was closed.

DOGE confirmed the action late Monday evening. 

“Mr. Moose denied lawful access to Kenneth Jackson, the Acting USIP President (as approved by the USIP Board.) @DCPoliceDept arrived onsite and escorted Mr. Jackson into the building,” DOGE posted on X. “The only unlawful individual was Mr. Moose, who refused to comply, and even tried to fire USIP’s private security team when said security team went to give access to Mr. Jackson.”

The DOGE action comes one month after President Trump signed an executive order targeting USIP and other organizations to cut staff and programs. USIP says it has been in contact with D.C. police since Mr. Trump signed the order on Feb. 19 hoping to prevent access to DOGE workers.

“President Trump signed an executive order to reduce USIP to its statutory minimum. After noncompliance, 11 board members were lawfully removed, and remaining board members appointed Kenneth Jackson acting president,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage. The Trump administration will enforce the President’s executive authority and ensure his agencies remain accountable to the American people.”

Following the executive order, USIP’s board voted to remove Mr. Moose as CEO and install Mr. Jackson, a State Department official. The White House had previously fired all but three of the organization’s board members, leaving only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Peter A. Garvin, president of the National Defense University.

USIP leaders have refused to accept the firings and have vowed to take the White House to court.

DOGE workers, along with two FBI agents, tried to enter USIP offices last Friday but were rebuffed by the organization’s lawyers who argued that the think tank’s private and independent status exempts it from executive branch oversight.

“The employees of our building are not federal employees, executive branch employees. They are employees of the institute. We have our own, separate board; we have our own bypass authority to go directly to Congress in order to get our money. Somehow, all of those arguments have not prevailed,” Mr. Moose said Monday.

Established by Congress in 1984 as an independent nonprofit, USIP is a nonpartisan group that focuses on research, analysis and training related to conflict resolution and peace building.