The Supreme Court recently made a major decision impacting the Trump administration by ruling that the federal government must pay $2 billion to contractors working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This ruling came on a Wednesday, with a close 5-4 vote among the justices.
The case arose after a group of American businesses and nonprofits claimed that former President Trump’s freeze on foreign aid payments was illegal. A District Court judge, Amir Ali, responded by issuing a temporary restraining order that blocked the administration from enforcing the funding freeze. Just days later, frustrated by the slow disbursement of funds, Judge Ali ordered the government to pay the $2 billion, dismissing arguments about legal barriers to such an order.
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented sharply, with Alito expressing disbelief at the majority’s decision. He questioned whether a single district court judge should have the power to compel the government to pay such a large sum of taxpayer money. Alito criticized the ruling as a dangerous precedent that undermines the authority of federal judges.
The Trump administration attempted to appeal the ruling, but the D.C. Circuit Court upheld the lower court’s order. The Supreme Court later lifted an administrative stay that had temporarily paused the payment, leaving the government with little time to respond.
This ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the Trump administration’s policies and raises questions about judicial authority and government accountability.