A divided U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to allow President Donald Trump’s administration to withhold payment to foreign aid organizations for work they had already completed for the government. This decision comes as President Trump seeks to end American humanitarian projects worldwide.
The court, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld a previous order by U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, requiring the administration to release funding to contractors and grant recipients from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department for their past work.
Conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented from the decision.
The administration had until February 26 to disburse nearly $2 billion in funding, as ordered by Judge Ali. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused this order to give the Supreme Court time to consider the administration’s formal request to block Ali’s ruling.
With the original deadline passed, the court instructed Ali to clarify the government’s obligations to comply with the temporary restraining order.
The ongoing legal challenge to Trump’s policy includes a hearing scheduled for Thursday, where plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction.
The Trump administration’s decision to pause foreign aid has disrupted humanitarian efforts globally, jeopardizing the delivery of crucial aid to vulnerable populations.
Aid organizations have accused Trump of overstepping his authority by halting funding authorized by Congress and dismantling independent federal agencies.
The plaintiffs in the litigation include various aid organizations, such as the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and HIAS.
Despite multiple court orders to release the frozen payments, the administration has kept the funds withheld, leading to significant harm to the organizations and the people they serve.
President Trump’s actions have been criticized for endangering the lives of millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.
This story has been published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff.
