A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid within two days, citing non-compliance with a previous court order. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by nonprofit organizations over the suspension of foreign assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development and State Department.
The funding freeze was implemented following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on January 20, targeting programs deemed wasteful and not aligned with his foreign policy objectives. Nonprofit groups receiving federal grant money for international projects argue that the freeze violates federal law and has halted funding for critical life-saving initiatives abroad. USAID and State Department partners claim that the administration has failed to release billions of dollars owed to them.
This is not the first time that a judge has found the Trump administration in violation of a court order. Earlier this month, a U.S. District Court Judge in Rhode Island ruled that federal grants and loans within the U.S. had not been fully unfrozen, despite blocking plans for a pause on trillions of dollars in government spending.
