Foreign Aid Battle: Supreme Court Sides Against Trump

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Foreign Aid Battle: Supreme Court Sides Against Trump/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the Trump administration’s attempt to challenge a judge’s order requiring the release of $2 billion in frozen foreign aid. The court asked U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify the timeline for compliance but did not overturn his decision. The ruling keeps Ali’s temporary order in place, while Trump officials argue that aid cuts are now individualized, impacting $60 billion in contracts.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze: Quick Look

5-4 Ruling: SCOTUS denies Trump’s appeal on aid dispute.
Judge Amir Ali’s Order: Requires Trump to release $2 billion.
Dissenting Justices: Alito calls the ruling “judicial hubris”.
Next Steps: Ali to hold a hearing Thursday.
Aid Impact: 10,000 contracts & grants, totaling $60 billion, affected.

Foreign Aid Battle: Supreme Court Sides Against Trump

Court Rules Against Trump in 5-4 Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday against the Trump administration’s request to overturn a federal judge’s order requiring the release of nearly $2 billion in foreign aid.

The 5-4 decision denied the White House’s effort to rebuke U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who had paused Trump’s broad aid freeze.

Instead of overturning Ali’s ruling, the court:

Asked Ali to clarify the compliance timeline.
Left the temporary restraining order in place.

Justice Samuel Alito, in dissent, criticized the decision as an “act of judicial hubris”, arguing that Ali lacked the authority to order the payments.

Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Sparks Legal Battle

Since taking office in January, Trump has slashed U.S. foreign aid spending, citing:

National security concerns.
Budget priorities favoring domestic programs.
Allegations of mismanagement in global funding.

The administration initially froze all foreign aid, but later moved to individualized cuts, canceling:

5,800 contracts through USAID.
4,100 State Department grants.
A total of nearly $60 billion in funding.

Judge Ali’s Order: The Legal Fight

On Feb. 13, Judge Amir Ali issued a temporary restraining order (TRO), blocking the aid freeze and ordering the release of already-completed payments.

However, after two weeks of inaction, Ali set a firm deadline for the Trump administration to comply—prompting Trump officials to appeal.

The administration called Ali’s deadline “incredibly intrusive and profoundly erroneous.”
They argued the freeze was being replaced with a more selective review process.

What’s Next?

Judge Ali will hold a Thursday hearing to determine if the temporary restraining order should become a longer-term injunction.

With billions of dollars in aid at stake, the case is expected to continue in the courts, while Trump’s foreign policy agenda faces growing resistance.