In a closely divided ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions in foreign aid frozen, though it did not set a deadline for releasing the funds, leaving the issue to lower courts.
The 5-4 decision saw Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the majority. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.
The majority noted that since a previous court-imposed deadline had passed, lower courts should now determine “what obligations the government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order.”
Alito, strongly opposing the decision, wrote, “A federal court has many tools to address a party’s supposed nonfeasance. Self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction is not one of them.”
At the heart of the dispute is billions in State Department and USAID foreign aid that Trump froze in January as part of his efforts to cut government spending. Several nonprofit organizations sued, arguing that the freeze bypassed Congress’s authority and violated federal law.
A U.S. district judge had ordered partial fund releases in February, but the administration was accused of delaying compliance. The nonprofits described the situation as “devastating,” stating the aid “literally saves” lives and prevents global crises from worsening.
Trump’s legal team appealed to the Supreme Court for more time, citing bureaucratic hurdles in processing payments. However, the plaintiffs countered that officials were intentionally blocking disbursement.
The case underscores Trump’s broader push to consolidate executive power. Court filings revealed that his administration intends to terminate over 90% of USAID’s foreign aid grants, significantly disrupting global assistance programs.
