A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must temporarily restore foreign aid funding on Thursday. Despite a previous court order, officials continued withholding money from programs worldwide. As a result, essential development efforts remain stalled.
Judge Rejects Contempt Request
However, Judge Amir H. Ali denied a request from nonprofit organizations to hold Trump officials in contempt. Instead, he criticized the administration for misusing his earlier ruling. Rather than lifting the aid freeze as instructed, officials used the order to justify their “en masse suspension” of funds. Consequently, aid programs faced further disruption.
Officials Continue Blocking Payments
Even after the judge’s order, USAID Deputy Secretary Pete Marocco and other top officials refused to release the funds. In fact, Judge Ali noted that they had “continued their blanket suspension of funds,” directly ignoring the court’s decision. Therefore, the funding crisis worsened.
Lawsuit Challenges Abrupt Aid Cuts
Meanwhile, nonprofit groups sued the Trump administration after it abruptly halted $60 billion in global aid and development programs through USAID and the State Department. The sudden freeze disrupted essential assistance efforts almost overnight. As a result, organizations working with the U.S. government struggled to maintain operations.
Government Fails to Resume Payments
Although the court ordered officials to restore funding, USAID and the State Department have not resumed payments. Furthermore, contractors and aid organizations report that the government still owes them hundreds of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Marocco and other officials defended their actions in court. They argued that they could legally stop payments on thousands of contracts without violating the judge’s ruling.
Administration Reviews Foreign Aid Programs
At the same time, the Trump administration has launched a program-by-program review of all foreign aid initiatives under USAID and the State Department. Officials claim they want to assess each program and determine whether it aligns with the administration’s policies. However, aid groups fear this process will further delay much-needed funding.
Aid Groups Warn of Devastating Impact
As expected, nonprofit organizations and former USAID staffers warn that the funding freeze and mass firings within USAID have devastated U.S. foreign assistance efforts. Consequently, the cuts have already forced thousands of layoffs and pushed government partner organizations toward financial collapse. If the situation continues, many fear that vital humanitarian programs will be permanently dismantled.
