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A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Trump administration has not fully complied with a court order blocking its sweeping freeze on foreign assistance, ordering officials to “immediately cease” any continued suspension of aid disbursements.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who last week issued an injunction against the administration’s aid freeze, warned that the government appeared to be searching for new justifications rather than adhering to his ruling.
“By enjoining Defendants and their agents from implementing any directives to undertake such blanket suspension, the Court was not inviting Defendants to continue the suspension while they reviewed contracts and legal authorities to come up with a new, post-hoc rationalization for the en masse suspension,” Ali wrote.
The judge, however, stopped short of holding the administration in contempt.
Court Challenges Trump’s Foreign Aid Suspension
The dispute stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, pausing nearly all foreign development assistance funding for 90 days. The order directed all federal agencies to halt new obligations and disbursements of aid to foreign countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed up with an immediate suspension of nearly all State Department and USAID-funded foreign assistance.
Federal contractors quickly challenged the move, arguing that the administration had no legal authority to override congressionally appropriated aid. Judge Ali ruled in their favor, determining that a blanket freeze likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and caused irreparable harm to affected organizations.
Judge Rejects Administration’s Justifications
In a notice of compliance filed earlier this week, the administration stated that the State Department and USAID had reviewed thousands of frozen contracts and determined that “substantially all” of the terminations were legally justified under contract terms.
Ali, however, suggested that the administration was still attempting to justify its mass aid suspension retroactivelyrather than fully reinstating the funding.
“The Trump administration has yet to offer evidence to rebut the charge that its blanket suspension of foreign aid will cause irreparable harm,” Ali wrote, emphasizing that his order required immediate compliance.
Repeated Legal Battles Over Trump’s Funding Freezes
This is not the first time in Trump’s second term that a federal judge has ruled against his administration over funding suspensions.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the administration violated an order halting a broader funding freeze, which included not only foreign aid but also domestic grants and loans. That freeze, enacted through a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, was ultimately rescinded in late January.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the latest ruling.
What’s Next?
Judge Ali’s ruling sets the stage for further legal battles over the administration’s approach to foreign aid. If the government continues to delay or reinterpret the court’s injunction, Ali could take stronger action, including holding officials in contempt.
For now, the ruling compels the Trump administration to immediately lift its foreign assistance freeze—though it remains to be seen whether officials will fully comply.
