A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by freezing most of the spending on U.S. humanitarian and development work abroad, stating that the administration cannot hold onto the allocated funds for foreign aid. Despite this ruling, the judge did not order Trump officials to reinstate the terminated contracts for aid and development projects globally. The decision came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the completion of a significant downsizing of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), eliminating 83% of its programs and transferring the remaining ones to the State Department.

Trump’s executive order to freeze foreign assistance funding and review U.S. aid projects was criticized for being wasteful and politically motivated. Rubio declared the end of the review process, with thousands of programs cut due to not aligning with U.S. national interests. While Democratic lawmakers and advocates argued against the legality of shutting down congressionally funded programs, the judge emphasized that Congress holds the authority to allocate foreign aid funds.

The court ordered Trump officials to pay the owed $2 billion to aid groups and businesses promptly. The dismantling of USAID’s programs has raised concerns about the administration’s priorities in supporting democracy, civil society, NGO programs, and health initiatives abroad. The abrupt changes have left many USAID staff and contractors in limbo, with a tight deadline set for their return to the U.S. on government expense. The administration’s actions have disrupted decades of U.S. foreign aid policy aimed at promoting national security through international development efforts.