Voice of America Staff Wins Legal Halt to Shutdown/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing Voice of America staff and shutting down its operations. The ruling protects over 1,200 employees and contractors, citing press freedom and unlawful executive overreach. Additional lawsuits surrounding VOA funding cuts are still pending.
Voice of America Court Victory Quick Looks
- Judge halts Trump administration’s cuts to Voice of America
- Ruling blocks firing of over 1,200 VOA employees
- Court cites “arbitrary and capricious” decision-making
- VOA went off-air after Trump slashed funding via executive order
- Order protects global media affiliates like Radio Free Europe
- Administration accused VOA of “radical propaganda” and bias
- Trump’s adviser Kari Lake involved in shutdown planning
- Advocacy groups and unions filed the lawsuit in Manhattan
- Voice of America has operated since World War II
- Additional lawsuits against cuts pending in Washington, D.C.
Voice of America Staff Wins Legal Halt to Shutdown
Deep Look
Voice of America Temporarily Saved as Judge Blocks Trump’s Effort to Cut Staff, Funding
NEW YORK — A federal judge on Friday issued a decisive legal rebuke to the Trump administration’s sweeping attempt to dismantle the Voice of America (VOA), the United States’ flagship government-funded international news outlet.
U.S. District Judge James Paul Oetken granted a temporary restraining order halting the administration’s efforts to lay off over 1,200 journalists, engineers, and other VOA personnel, calling the move a “classic case of arbitrary and capricious decision making.”
The ruling bars the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) from firing staff, furloughing workers, closing offices, or forcing overseas employees to return to the U.S. It also blocks the agency from terminating grant funding for other global media outlets under its umbrella, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Afghanistan.
“This is a decisive victory for press freedom and the First Amendment,” said Andrew G. Celli Jr., attorney for the plaintiffs, a coalition of VOA employees, unions, and the nonprofit Reporters Without Borders.
Court Rebukes “Sledgehammer” Approach
At a Manhattan hearing, Judge Oetken sharply criticized the Trump administration’s aggressive strategy, saying it was “taking a sledgehammer to an agency that has been statutorily authorized and funded by Congress.” He pointed to a lack of justification and planning, especially by agency leadership, including Trump adviser Kari Lake, who abruptly initiated the shutdown.
The judge’s decision follows a lawsuit filed last week by journalists and advocacy groups, who argued the cuts violated their constitutional protections and a court-established firewall preventing White House interference in VOA content.
The lawsuit described a chaotic shutdown on March 15, when employees were told to end broadcasts and leave VOA premises. They lost access to internal systems shortly afterward, and the VOA website has remained frozen since.
Plaintiffs say the absence of VOA and its global affiliates leaves a dangerous information vacuum now being filled by authoritarian state media and propaganda.
Trump’s Executive Order Sparks Controversy
President Trump’s March 14 executive order slashed funding to the USAGM and six unrelated agencies, part of a broader effort to downsize the federal government and align its messaging with his political agenda. The White House accused VOA of spreading “radical propaganda,” citing content about racial justice and favorable coverage of President Biden.
The administration labeled the outlet “The Voice of Radical America” and claimed taxpayers should not fund “anti-American narratives.”
VOA, by congressional mandate, is required to operate as a nonpartisan and independent news organization. Trump and his allies, including Lake, have repeatedly accused the broadcaster of failing to promote U.S. values.
“We’re not going to be putting out anti-American garbage,” Lake told One America News Network. “We’re telling America’s story — not our adversaries’.”
She added that she has been determining minimum legal staffing levels and suggested that lawsuits were expected: “This is just par for the course. We’ve been victims of lawfare before.”
Despite these claims, Judge Oetken sided with the plaintiffs, saying the administration failed to follow proper procedures or consider the broader implications of gutting a long-standing public diplomacy institution.
VOA’s Legacy and Legal Future
Voice of America began broadcasting in 1942, originally aimed at countering Nazi propaganda. It played a vital role in the Cold War, delivering unbiased news into countries with state-controlled media. Today, it serves as a critical source of independent journalism in dozens of languages worldwide.
Congress has allocated nearly $860 million to the USAGM for the current fiscal year. The attempt to abruptly shutter its largest entity drew backlash from lawmakers, free press advocates, and foreign policy experts alike.
In addition to Friday’s ruling, three separate lawsuits challenging the administration’s actions are pending in Washington, D.C., including one filed by VOA’s current director and several senior journalists. Judge Oetken said he would later rule on whether the case in New York should be consolidated with those proceedings.
For now, the ruling protects Voice of America from an unprecedented government-driven blackout — but the fight is far from over.
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