Supreme Court Blocks Trump's Attempt to Freeze $2 Billion in USAID Funds

The United States Supreme Court has denied the Trump administration's attempt to halt a judicial order mandating the release of nearly $2 billion in previously frozen funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This ruling marks a setback for President Donald Trump, who had initiated the suspension of these payments as part of his broader strategy to trim foreign aid, affecting numerous international programs and projects.

The Court's decision requires the administration to comply with a lower court's ruling and to outline how it plans to proceed with the required payments. The case has been returned to the lower court to clarify the details of the payment schedule. A district judge has scheduled a hearing for next Thursday, where both parties must present a feasible timeline for fulfilling the reimbursements.

Although this decision is not advantageous for the Trump administration, it does not compel the immediate release of the funds, allowing for potential further delays in the distribution of international aid contracts. The ruling sparked intense debate within the Supreme Court, with four justices dissenting. They argued that a single district judge should not wield the power to force the federal government to disburse $2 billion in taxpayer funds.

Since beginning his second term, Trump has advocated for significant reductions in foreign aid spending, asserting that his aim is to align international policy with national interests. In February, he ordered a review of USAID, transferring its oversight to the State Department and appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting director of the agency. In the same month, Trump commented in an interview that the United States had been "taken advantage of for too long" and that cutting foreign aid was crucial to controlling the national debt.

As part of this policy, USAID's website and social media channels were deactivated, and its headquarters in Washington was sealed off with caution tape. The dismissals of officials and the halting of funds to aid groups drew criticism from Congress and human rights organizations.

What's Next?

While the Supreme Court's decision represents a temporary setback for Trump, the administration might still attempt to postpone the payments by citing logistical challenges in immediately disbursing the funds. Meanwhile, affected aid groups have cautioned that the administration "never took steps to comply" with the court order, and that delays could jeopardize critical humanitarian programs overseas.

The case remains in the hands of the district court, which will need to establish the exact timeframe for the government to fulfill the payments. In the meantime, the Supreme Court's ruling underscores that the president does not possess unilateral authority to block funds already approved for international cooperation programs.

The freeze on U.S. aid funds has significantly impacted many independent Cuban media outlets. This week, Marco Rubio ordered the withdrawal of funding from the portal CubaNet, a pioneer in these media that has, for 30 years, worked to counter the Castro regime's propaganda by exposing the reality of the country. "Without these funds, the Havana government will have greater freedom to intensify its propaganda and repression," said its director, Roberto Hechavarría Pilia.

Trump, for his part, has labeled the allocation of $1.5 million by USAID to "rebuild the Cuban media ecosystem" as "utterly irresponsible." This grant for the Cuban free press, which has been reporting independently of the regime for years and often faced arrests, interrogations, and exile, was included in a list of "ridiculous projects" compiled by the president.