A federal judge on Tuesday mandated that the Trump administration unfreeze foreign aid funding within two days. This directive came after it became evident that the administration was not complying with a previous court order to ensure that funds continue to flow to global aid groups.
The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are required to release these funds and pay outstanding bills by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday. This ruling was issued by Judge Amir H. Ali of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia.
Judge Ali had previously ordered the Trump administration on February 13 to continue disbursing the funds pending the resolution of a lawsuit initiated by two health organizations. These organizations were affected by President Trump’s executive order to halt most foreign aid for 90 days.
A hearing on Tuesday highlighted increasing evidence that the Trump administration was disregarding the order. It was alleged that they were using various legal loopholes to prevent the foreign assistance from being distributed.
During the hearing, Judge Ali expressed frustration while questioning Indraneel Sur, a Justice Department lawyer. Despite being asked four times to specify any actions taken by the Trump administration to release the funds, Mr. Sur was unable to provide a clear response, often pausing for long periods and reverting to legal arguments.
Judge Ali remarked, “I’m not sure why I can’t get a straight answer from you on this. Are you aware of steps taken to actually release those funds?”
