Despite a divided Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, the Donald Trump administration has been ordered to release nearly $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, following an earlier lower court decision. However, the timeline and process for disbursing the funds remain unclear.
In a 5-4 decision, the court rejected an emergency appeal from the administration while directing U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his initial order, which mandated the swift release of the funds for previously completed work.
While this ruling marks a setback for the Donald Trump administration, nonprofits and businesses involved in the lawsuit are still awaiting payments. Many organizations, both in the U.S. and abroad, have already reduced services and laid off workers due to the funding freeze.
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HIAS, one of the nonprofit groups affected, welcomed the court’s decision but lamented the harm already inflicted. “The Trump administration’s actions have caused irreparable damage to our staff, the people we serve, and the reputation of the United States as a global leader,” the organization said.
Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh, dissented, arguing that Ali overstepped his authority. Alito criticized the ruling as “judicial overreach,” claiming it unfairly burdens American taxpayers with a $2 billion payout.
The majority opinion, supported by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and the three liberal justices, emphasized that the administration had only challenged the deadline, not the underlying order. The court instructed Ali to clarify what steps the government must take to comply while considering the feasibility of implementation.
The funding freeze stems from a Trump executive order targeting what he deemed wasteful foreign aid programs. The administration later modified its approach, canceling thousands of USAID contracts and State Department grants worth nearly $60 billion.
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The lawsuit argues that the freeze violates federal law, obstructing critical, life-saving aid. In response, Ali issued a temporary restraining order on February 13, later imposing a deadline when the government showed no sign of compliance.
The administration has pushed back, calling Ali’s order “intrusive and profoundly erroneous.” Meanwhile, Pete Marocco, the Trump appointee overseeing USAID’s restructuring, expressed concerns about the Supreme Court’s decision during a closed-door briefing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
When asked whether he would comply with the ruling, Marocco reportedly evaded the question, raising further uncertainty about the aid’s release.
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