The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration cannot freeze nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds on Wednesday.
The ruling came in a 5-4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the liberal justices.
The big picture: The ruling requires the administration to comply with a district court order and fulfill payments for work already completed on the government’s behalf.
- The court instructed the district court judge to clarify the obligations the government must meet to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, considering the feasibility of any compliance timelines.
- Justice Samuel Alito, in his dissent, expressed astonishment at the majority’s decision, questioning the unchecked power of a single district-court judge to compel the government to disburse $2 billion taxpayer dollars, which could potentially be lost forever.
Driving the news: The administration had initially attempted to freeze the payments through an executive order, but US District Court Judge Amir Ali issued a temporary restraining order three weeks prior, instructing the payments to resume.
- Last week, Ali ruled that the administration violated the terms of the order and ordered the delayed payments to be made by February 26.
- Chief Justice Roberts issued a stay before the February 26 deadline while the court deliberated on the case.
- Foreign aid groups, facing financial strain following the suspension of aid, were seeking resolution. During a meeting with aid organizations, a Trump administration official defended the decision to review foreign aid and prevent what he termed as “nefarious actors” from disbursing illegal payments.
