A federal judge has mandated that the Trump administration temporarily lift a funding freeze, which has halted U.S. humanitarian assistance and development efforts across the globe. The judge has assigned a five-day period for the administration to demonstrate compliance with the order.
In his ruling issued late Thursday, the judge emphasized the immense financial turmoil caused by the sudden disruption of funding for various suppliers and nonprofit organizations engaged in delivering U.S. aid abroad. This decision marks the first judicial challenge against the Republican administration’s funding halt, coinciding with a rising wave of litigation from government employees, aid organizations, and contractors aiming to reverse the rapid dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and broader foreign assistance initiatives.
Officials within the Trump administration, including advisor Elon Musk, have claimed that the nearly 60-year-old agency and much of its associated foreign aid are misaligned with the president’s agenda. Judge Amir H. Ali pointed out in his ruling that administration officials failed to provide any valid justification for implementing a sweeping suspension of all congressionally approved foreign aid, which generated significant disruption for numerous contracts held by nonprofits and businesses alike.
Contractors, farmers, and suppliers both domestically and internationally have reported that the funding freeze has resulted in outstanding payments amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars for completed work. Consequently, many are faced with employee layoffs and are nearing financial distress. Suppliers have described how substantial amounts of food aid are languishing at ports, while other forms of aid are in danger of being pilfered.
The judge instructed the administration to inform all organizations holding active foreign-aid contracts of this temporary suspension. He set a Tuesday deadline for the administration to prove that it fulfilled this requirement and complied with the order.
The Trump administration has yet to publicly respond to the judge’s ruling. This temporary measure was issued in the context of a lawsuit filed by two organizations: the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, which represent health entities benefiting from U.S. financial support for international programs.
In his order, the judge referenced the administration’s assertion that halting funding for myriad USAID programs was necessary to thoroughly evaluate each initiative and determine its viability. However, the administration’s legal representatives were unable to provide a compelling rationale for ignoring the significant impact on the numerous small and large businesses dependent on such programs.
Furthermore, the ruling prohibits Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials from executing stop-work orders that have been issued to entities engaged in foreign aid activities. The judge also dismissed the administration’s argument that it was mitigating the adverse effects of the funding freeze by granting waivers to allow partial funding to continue for certain aid partners, noting that testimony indicated no waiver structure had been implemented and that USAID’s online payment system was no longer operational.
In a separate ruling earlier on the same day, another judge confirmed that his temporary block on a Trump administration directive to significantly reduce the number of USAID staffers working worldwide would remain in effect for at least another week. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols scrutinized the government’s plans to ensure the safety of aid workers on leave amidst USAID’s downsizing. When the Justice Department attorney failed to provide comprehensive plans, the judge instructed him to submit court documents following the hearing.
Affidavits from USAID staffers who were recently stationed in Congo highlighted the agency’s near abandonment of personnel during a period of intensified looting and political violence in the capital, compelling these staffers to evacuate with their families.
