US Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to freeze billions in foreign aid |
The US Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen, in a closely divided 5-4 ruling on Wednesday.
However, the court did not specify when the funds must be released, allowing the administration to continue legal disputes in lower courts.
The ruling marks a significant setback for Trump’s efforts to overhaul foreign aid spending, a key aspect of his administration’s broader push to consolidate executive power.
The unsigned order saw Chief Justice John Roberts join Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority. Dissenting were Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh.
The majority indicated that lower courts should clarify how the administration must comply with a prior temporary restraining order.
In a strongly worded dissent, Alito criticized the decision, arguing that it improperly allowed a lower court judge to force the administration’s hand.
“A federal court has many tools to address a party’s supposed nonfeasance. Self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction is not one of them,” Alito wrote.
Legal analyst Steve Vladeck described the ruling as “extremely modest” but noted that the division among justices could signal deepening rifts in future Trump-related cases.
The case centers on foreign aid funding from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which Trump froze in January as part of an effort to curb government spending and reshape US foreign policy.
Several nonprofit groups sued, arguing that the freeze unlawfully bypassed Congress, which has the constitutional authority over government spending.
The aid in question supports global health initiatives, with plaintiffs warning that the freeze has had a “devastating” impact on critical programs combating disease and instability.
“In doing so, it helps stop problems like disease and instability overseas before they reach our shores,” the groups said in a court filing.
US District Judge Amir Ali, appointed by President Joe Biden, had earlier ordered the administration to temporarily continue distributing the funds while reviewing the case. However, the plaintiffs later accused the administration of defying that order.
Ali responded by mandating that the funds be disbursed by midnight Wednesday. In response, the Trump administration made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that it was making “substantial efforts” to review payments but could not comply with Ali’s timeline.
Chief Justice Roberts briefly paused the case to allow both sides to submit written arguments before the court issued its ruling.
Sweeping impact on aid programs
Court filings revealed that the Trump administration has already moved to terminate over 90% of USAID foreign aid awards.
According to government documents, nearly 5,800 USAID awards were terminated, while only 500 were retained, with a total value of approximately $57 billion.
Similar cuts were made at the State Department, where 4,100 awards were terminated, leaving just 2,700 in place.
The aid freeze has brought numerous global programs to a standstill, with USAID’s workforce significantly reduced amid widespread furloughs and terminations.
Among the organizations affected are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, both of which play key roles in international health initiatives.
With the Supreme Court ruling now clearing the way for lower courts to enforce the distribution of funds, the legal battle over Trump’s foreign aid policy is set to continue.
