A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by freezing nearly all U.S. humanitarian and development spending abroad, declaring that the administration cannot withhold tens of billions of dollars appropriated by Congress for foreign aid.
Judge Amir H. Ali stopped short of mandating the administration to reinstate thousands of abruptly terminated contracts supporting U.S. aid and development initiatives worldwide.
The ruling came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the completion of a six-week purge of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, cutting 83% of them. Rubio stated that the remaining aid programs would be transferred to the State Department.
Rubio, in a post on X, praised the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and State Department staff for executing what he called a long-overdue reform of U.S. foreign aid. The move marks a significant shift in the country’s international assistance strategy, driven by Trump administration political appointees.
Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20 directed a freeze on foreign assistance funding, citing concerns over waste and an alleged liberal agenda in U.S. aid programs. Rubio’s post indicated that the review was now complete, eliminating 5,200 out of USAID’s 6,200 programs, which he argued had failed to serve national interests.
Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups contend that the shutdown of congressionally funded programs is unlawful, requiring legislative approval.
Ali, in his preliminary injunction, asserted that Trump cannot disregard the nearly $60 billion allocated by Congress for USAID and the State Department, emphasizing that under the U.S. Constitution, spending authority resides with Congress.
“The constitutional power over whether to spend foreign aid is not the President’s own — it is Congress’s own,” Ali wrote, rejecting the administration’s expansive claims of executive power.
Ali declined requests from nonprofit organizations and businesses to reinstate terminated contracts, stating that such decisions fall under the administration’s discretion. However, he ordered the government to disburse approximately $2 billion owed to aid organizations and contractors by mid-February, mandating at least 300 back payments per day.
Despite administration assurances that life-saving programs would continue during the freeze, USAID staff and partners reported that all payments had been halted, with USAID’s payment system disabled by DOGE under Elon Musk’s leadership.
The ruling follows the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Trump administration’s appeal in the case.
Critics say the cuts have obscured the administration’s stance on U.S. foreign aid priorities.
“The patterns that are emerging show the administration does not support democracy programs, civil society, NGOs, or even health and emergency response,” said Andrew Natsios, former USAID administrator under President George W. Bush. “So what’s left?”
Republican leaders have advocated for a narrower foreign aid strategy, aligning spending with a more restrictive interpretation of national interests. The dismantling of USAID upended decades of policy that framed humanitarian and development assistance as vital to U.S. national security.
The State Department, in a recent court filing, indicated that more than 90% of USAID programs would be terminated, though Rubio provided a lower figure.
Following Trump’s order, his appointee Pete Marocco, alongside Musk, implemented mass firings, forced leaves, and immediate terminations of USAID contracts. The shutdown left many USAID employees and contractors stranded overseas, awaiting unpaid salaries and travel expenses.
The administration has given overseas USAID staff until April 6 to return to the U.S. at government expense, according to an agency-wide email obtained by The Associated Press. Employees say the deadline leaves little time to arrange personal affairs, including school withdrawals for children, property sales, and securing housing after years abroad.
AP
