Supreme Court temporarily blocks order for Trump to release billions in foreign aid
President Trump hosts Cabinet meeting at WH
President Trump held the first meeting with his Cabinet secretaries, with Elon Musk in attendance, on Wednesday afternoon. He highlighted his influence over the administration and said a deal on earth minerals with Ukraine can bring the U.S. "great wealth."
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Wednesday night temporarily blocked a lower court order that required the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid.
Chief Justice John Roberts granted the administration’s request to pause the ruling just hours before a midnight deadline that would have forced the release of nearly $2 billion in funding.
The decision is a temporary win for the administration, which has argued that the lower court’s mandate imposed an unrealistic timeline for resuming payments. The Supreme Court is now set to review whether the order should be overturned entirely.
What the Supreme Court’s ruling means for foreign aid
What's next:
The dispute centers on a ruling from U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who ordered the State Department and USAID to resume funding contracts and grants by midnight Wednesday. The administration, however, pushed back, calling the timeline unfeasible.
In an emergency motion to the Supreme Court, acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued that the lower court’s order "intrudes on the prerogatives of the Executive Branch" and that foreign aid decisions fall under presidential authority.
Roberts’ decision grants the administration more time to fight the ruling. He has given the plaintiffs until midday Friday to respond before determining whether to overturn the lower court’s order. The chief justice could either make the decision himself or refer the case to the full Supreme Court for a vote.
For now, the ruling marks a temporary victory for the Trump administration, which has sought to scale back USAID programs.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Associated Press. Details regarding the Supreme Court's temporary stay, the lower court ruling, and the Trump administration's response were sourced from AP reporting. This story was reported from Los Angeles.