WASHINGTON — A federal judge has mandated that the Trump administration must temporarily restore foreign aid funding worldwide, despite their continued withholding of these funds in defiance of a court order. Judge Amir H. Ali made this ruling on Thursday after nonprofit organizations working with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) requested that officials from the Trump administration be held in contempt for not complying with his previous order.
The judge pointed out that officials had misinterpreted his February 13 directive, using it as an opportunity to create new justifications for the widespread suspension of foreign assistance. He noted that high-ranking officials, including USAID Deputy Secretary Pete Marocco—who was appointed by Trump—had refused to lift the blanket suspension of funds, which contradicts the court’s ruling.
This decision comes amid a legal battle initiated by nonprofit organizations contesting the Trump administration’s abrupt cessation of foreign aid, which impacted approximately $60 billion in annual assistance and development efforts. Despite the judge’s clear directive, officials claim to have upheld their stance, leaving payments unmade for hundreds of millions of dollars that are owed to various organizations.
In written submissions to the court this week, Marocco and others defended the decision to halt payments, asserting that they possess the legal authority to stop or end payments across numerous contracts without violating the judge’s earlier order. Currently, the Trump administration has initiated a review of foreign assistance programs through the State Department and USAID to determine which initiatives align with their political agenda.
Aid groups along with current and former staff members of USAID have expressed grave concerns, stating that the aid freeze and the extensive personnel cuts within the agency have severely hampered U.S. foreign assistance efforts globally. This situation has led to significant layoffs and is pushing several government partners towards financial instability.
