Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s USAID Freeze, Orders Billions In Payments

The Trump administration’s effort to stop USAID payments has been struck down by the Supreme Court, which ruled in a 5-4 vote that nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funding must be disbursed immediately. The decision forces the White House to follow a lower court order requiring payments, despite concerns that these funds support left-wing organizations under the guise of humanitarian aid.

Justice Samuel Alito, who dissented from the majority, criticized the ruling as an unprecedented expansion of judicial authority. He warned that allowing a single judge—U.S. District Judge Amir Ali—to dictate federal spending decisions sets a dangerous precedent.

Ali had previously ruled that the administration had only a day to resume payments before the Supreme Court briefly paused the order. The Trump administration had argued that the spending freeze was necessary to review where taxpayer dollars were being sent, citing concerns about wasteful foreign aid and politically motivated funding.

Chief Justice John Roberts initially halted Ali’s order, recognizing that the administration needed more time. However, the Supreme Court’s decision now hands full authority back to Ali, leaving the White House with no choice but to comply.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh sided with Alito in dissent, emphasizing that executive branch control over foreign aid spending should not be overridden by the judiciary.

Following the ruling, Ali moved quickly to enforce the order, scheduling a hearing to finalize the payment schedule.

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