A federal judge has temporarily lifted a funding freeze on US aid and development programs, which had been imposed by the Trump administration. Court documents obtained by AFP on Friday reveal that Judge Amir Ali, appointed by President Joe Biden, ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must cease efforts to “suspend, pause, or otherwise prevent” foreign assistance funds.
Under the Trump administration, foreign aid funding had been frozen, thousands of staff working abroad were ordered to return to the US, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was drastically downsized from 10,000 employees to about 300. These actions raised concerns about the agency’s ability to continue its work in some of the world’s most impoverished countries. USAID manages a $42.8 billion budget, which makes up 42 percent of global humanitarian aid.
The new court order also prohibits the government from “issuing, implementing, enforcing, or otherwise giving effect to terminations, suspensions, or stop-work orders” for existing contracts as of January 19, 2025. The ruling stated that the administration’s rationale for suspending foreign aid was to review programs for efficiency and alignment with its priorities, but it criticized the blanket suspension, noting that it caused significant disruption and failed to explain why such a drastic move was necessary for program evaluation.
The plaintiffs in the case represent a range of organizations, including businesses, health groups, and journalistic nonprofits, all of which rely on federal grants for foreign aid work.
In a broader context, Trump, now in his second term, has spearheaded a campaign—supported by his major donor, Elon Musk—to downsize or eliminate large portions of the US government. USAID, in particular, has faced intense scrutiny. Trump has criticized the agency as being “run by radical lunatics,” while Musk has called it a “criminal organisation” that should be “put through the woodchipper.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly confirmed Health Secretary, referred to USAID, which was founded by his late uncle, President John F. Kennedy, as a “sinister propagator of totalitarianism.” This week, Trump dismissed the independent inspector general for USAID, Paul Martin, a day after his office issued a report criticizing the administration’s dismantling efforts of the agency.
