The Supreme Court has temporarily upheld the Trump administration's foreign aid freeze, causing a major disruption in humanitarian programs worldwide.
Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze Reaffirmed by Supreme Court Chief Justice
Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze Reaffirmed by Supreme Court Chief Justice
US Supreme Court Chief supports Trump administration's freeze on foreign aid amidst legal challenges.
In a significant legal development, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily endorsed the Trump administration's controversial freeze on foreign aid payments. This ruling arrived just hours before a crucial midnight deadline (05:00 GMT) for disbursing payments to contractors. The administration argued that the timeframe mandated by a lower court judge was impractical for processing the necessary payments.
Since his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has rapidly moved to terminate numerous aid initiatives predominantly managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), placing a majority of its staff on administrative leave or terminating their roles. This significant shift in policy comes as the administration, led by Trump associate Elon Musk, aims to downsize the federal workforce and curtail costs. Recently, Musk requested that federal employees document their weekly achievements, provoking backlash and discord among the workforce and departmental officials.
A prior order from US District Judge Amir Ali had directed the State Department and USAID to settle approximately $2 billion in bills to contractors by a looming Wednesday deadline. This ruling is part of a broader trend where judiciary intervention seeks to challenge or halt various Trump administration directives.
As this deadline approached, the administration turned to the Supreme Court, asserting that the lower court's injunction had thrown their review of foreign aid funding into disarray. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued that Judge Ali's order disrupted what should have been a systematic review process.
The ramifications of this aid freeze have already begun to affect hundreds of programs across various countries, undermining the global aid system. As the largest provider of humanitarian aid globally, the US operates in over 60 countries, relying heavily on contractors to manage its assistance programs. Recent reports suggest that the Trump administration plans to eradicate more than 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts, significantly reducing overseas aid by up to $60 billion.
