In a significant legal development, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s freeze on US foreign aid funding, a move that had cast uncertainty over critical humanitarian and development programs worldwide.
Judge Amir Ali, appointed by President Joe Biden in November, issued a ruling on Thursday prohibiting the Trump administration from halting, suspending, or otherwise obstructing foreign assistance funds. The decision also prevents the administration from terminating or pausing existing contracts as of January 19, 2025.
The Trump administration, which began its second term last month, had frozen foreign aid funding, ordered thousands of USAID staff to return to the US, and initiated efforts to slash the agency’s workforce from 10,000 to just 300. USAID, responsible for delivering 42% of global humanitarian aid with an annual budget of $42.8 billion, faced an uncertain future as a result.
The judge’s order criticized the blanket suspension of congressionally approved foreign aid, stating that no rationale had been provided for such a sweeping measure. Plaintiffs in the case include businesses, nonprofits, and media organizations reliant on federal grants for international aid work.
The ruling comes amid Trump’s aggressive campaign, backed by top donor Elon Musk, to overhaul the US government, with USAID bearing the brunt of these efforts. Trump labeled the agency as being run by “radical lunatics,” while Musk called it a “criminal organization” that needed to be put “through the woodchipper.”
Newly appointed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose uncle President John F. Kennedy founded USAID, also criticized the agency, describing it as a “sinister propagator of totalitarianism.” Meanwhile, Trump’s dismissal of USAID’s independent inspector general, Paul Martin, following a critical report on the administration’s dismantling efforts, has further fueled controversy.
This court intervention temporarily halts the Trump administration’s plans, preserving the operations of USAID’s vital global programs as the legal battle continues.
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