CNN
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday against the Trump administration’s plan to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen. This decision came after a split vote of 5-4.
Though the court did not say when the funds should be released, this allows the White House to keep fighting the issue in lower courts. The majority opinion didn’t require immediate action, but it did suggest that lower courts should clarify the government’s obligations regarding the funds.
Four conservative justices—Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh—dissented. Alito expressed strong disagreement, stating he was “stunned” by the ruling and criticized the court for allowing further judicial action on the aid freeze.
Steve Vladeck, a CNN Supreme Court analyst, described the ruling as “modest.” He explained that while the order clears the path for the district court to enforce payment, it doesn’t demand the Trump administration release the funds immediately. The split among justices indicates ongoing divisions on important cases related to Trump’s presidency.
This case quickly made it to the Supreme Court, highlighting the urgency surrounding Trump’s efforts to reshape executive power since taking office in January. Central to the case is the nearly $2 billion in foreign aid from the State Department and USAID that was frozen in January as part of Trump’s spending cut agenda. Various nonprofit groups, dependent on these funds for health programs, claimed this freeze overstepped Congress’s budgeting authority and violated federal law.
The groups that sued argued that the freeze has had a devastating effect, as this funding promotes American interests abroad and helps save lives worldwide. They highlighted that it prevents issues like disease and instability from reaching the U.S.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali temporarily ordered the funds to be disbursed while reviewing the case. After a few days, he found that the Trump administration was not complying with his order, leading to a directive for the funds to be released by a specific deadline.
Judge Ali, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, faced an emergency appeal from the Trump administration just before this deadline. They claimed to be making efforts to process the necessary payments but needed more time. Conversely, the plaintiffs accused the administration of stalling due to political appointees refusing to approve payments.
Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused the case, allowing both sides to submit their arguments. Among the groups challenging the funding freeze are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, which support global health initiatives.
In court documents, the Trump administration reported attempts to terminate over 90% of USAID foreign aid awards, with nearly 5,800 awards canceled and about 500 retained. They also stated that around 4,100 State Department awards were terminated, adding to the disruption of aid programs worldwide due to the funding freeze.
The ongoing review of this financial support has caused a significant slowdown in assistance around the globe. It has also resulted in a reduction of USAID staff as many were put on leave or let go.
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Devan Cole.
