Supreme Court Orders White House To Resume USAID Payments Despite Funding Freeze

The Trump administration’s effort to freeze foreign aid spending has been blocked by the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 that nearly $2 billion in USAID payments must be released immediately. The decision ensures that taxpayer dollars will continue funding media organizations and activist groups with leftist ties, despite objections from the White House.

Justice Samuel Alito authored a blistering dissent, warning that the court’s ruling hands unprecedented power to a single district judge. He accused U.S. District Judge Amir Ali of acting outside his jurisdiction by dictating how and when federal money must be spent.

Ali had previously ruled that the administration had only one day to restart payments, prompting Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a temporary pause. The White House had sought a full reversal from the Supreme Court, arguing that the payments were part of a broader initiative to reduce unnecessary foreign aid spending.

Alito was joined in dissent by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, who warned that the decision weakens executive authority. The administration has argued that USAID funding has been used to support organizations pushing leftist social policies under the guise of humanitarian aid.

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, Acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris stated that the timeline for repayment remains unrealistic. She noted that the administration had not refused to make payments outright but that Ali’s demands were not “logistically feasible.”

Following the ruling, Ali quickly scheduled a hearing to finalize the details of the mandated payments.

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