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Judge Orders Trump Administration to Pay $2 Billion in Withheld Foreign Aid

The ruling requires payment for completed work but does not reinstate thousands of canceled contracts and grants.

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Lane Pollack, center, of Rockville, Md., a senior learning advisor at USAID for 14 years, is consoled by a co-worker after having 15 minutes to clear out her belongings from the USAID headquarters, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A United States Agency for International Development (USAID) worker holds a bouquet of flowers given to her after retrieving her personal belongings from USAID's headquarters in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement about an investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 3, 2025.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled that the Trump administration must release nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments for work completed before February 13, 2025.
  • The judge determined that the administration cannot withhold congressionally appropriated funds, affirming the constitutional separation of powers.
  • The ruling does not mandate the reinstatement of approximately 9,900 foreign aid contracts and grants canceled after a USAID review.
  • The Trump administration has significantly scaled back USAID operations, eliminating over 80% of its programs and transferring oversight of the remaining programs to the State Department.
  • Nonprofits and contractors have criticized the aid freeze and cancellations, citing catastrophic impacts on humanitarian efforts and alleging violations of congressional authority.