SUDAN URGES DISPLACED CITIZENS ABROAD TO RETURN HOME. (PHOTO).
Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump in foreign aid funding dispute
The Supreme Court on Friday granted President Donald Trump’s emergency request to temporarily freeze billions in congressionally approved foreign aid. Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, issued the stay to give the full court time to review Trump’s appeal, halting the release of roughly $4 billion in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts that a lower court had ordered to be disbursed by Sept. 30.
Trump has asserted broad authority over funding decisions, seeking to bypass congressional appropriations and judicial oversight. The White House criticized the lower court ruling, arguing it forced the executive branch to act against its own objectives. Nonprofits and private contractors sued after the administration paused USAID funds earlier this year, prompting layoffs and the closure of critical programs overseas. Advocacy groups warned that the funding freeze had caused severe harm to contractors and those relying on their services, while the Trump administration argued the release of funds without proper oversight risked waste, fraud, and abuse.
The legal battle has stretched for months. Earlier rulings allowed billions in contracts to be paid before the freeze, and Trump pursued multiple emergency appeals to prevent further disbursements before the fiscal year’s end. In July, the administration officially shut down USAID, citing misalignment with policy priorities. Critics note that USAID programs have historically saved millions of lives, and prolonged funding cuts could result in millions of preventable deaths.
Trump also pushed Congress to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid through a “pocket rescission,” using a 45-day hold permitted under the Impoundment Control Act. Businesses challenged the administration, arguing the 45-day review was not properly triggered, as the rescission notice was delivered to the Senate later than required. They urged the Supreme Court to reject the appeal, calling the administration’s actions unlawful and contrary to congressional intent. The case now awaits full court review, leaving the future of the aid funding temporarily on hold.
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