US court restores frozen foreign aid, dealing blow to Trump’s cuts
A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore funding for hundreds of foreign aid contractors, overturning a sweeping freeze that disrupted critical overseas programmes. The ruling, issued late Thursday, temporarily blocks the White House from cancelling contracts and funding agreements that predated Trump’s return to office on January 20.
The decision marks the first legal pushback against Trump’s controversial foreign aid freeze, which had sparked outrage among humanitarian groups and US-funded health organisations worldwide. The lawsuit was brought by two health organisations that rely on American financial support to operate abroad.
Judge Amir Ali of the US District Court for the District of Columbia sharply criticised the administration’s justification for the freeze. In his ruling, he stated that the White House had failed to provide a reasonable explanation for halting all congressionally approved foreign assistance. “Defendants have not offered any justification for why a blanket suspension of all foreign aid—upending thousands of agreements with businesses, nonprofits, and international partners—was necessary as a precursor to reviewing these programmes,” Ali wrote.
Trump, who has aggressively sought to reshape the federal government, had positioned the aid freeze as part of a broader effort to reduce spending and eliminate waste. He tasked billionaire ally Elon Musk with spearheading cost-cutting initiatives across multiple agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers billions in foreign assistance.
The ruling comes as Trump escalates his efforts to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. His administration has already begun slashing jobs across agencies, laying off recently hired civil servants without full job protections. Hundreds of government officials have been dismissed or sidelined as part of Trump’s push to install loyalists and streamline operations in his second term.
The judge’s decision delivers a significant blow to these efforts, at least temporarily ensuring that crucial foreign aid programmes continue. The Trump administration is expected to challenge the ruling, setting up a potential legal battle over the future of US-funded international assistance.
