A federal judge has mandated that the Trump administration must pay several nonprofit organizations and aid groups affected by President Donald Trump’s decision to halt foreign assistance and close the U.S. Agency for International Development by Monday.
In a ruling issued on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali established a framework to ensure the federal government disburses funds to at least nine organizations, including the Global Health Council, Chemonics International, and the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.
Judge Ali had previously ordered the administration to temporarily allocate foreign aid that was operational before Trump assumed office on Jan. 20, with the government estimating that amount to be around $2 billion.
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On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld Ali’s earlier decision but noted that he “should clarify what obligations the government must fulfill” to adhere to his ruling.
In his ruling on Thursday, Ali did not mandate that the administration pay the entire $2 billion by the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Monday, but instead directed the payment of a smaller amount to be determined later for the organizations involved in the lawsuit.
He requested additional details from the plaintiffs by noon on Friday, which will help establish the payment amount and specific recipients.
It remains uncertain whether the payments will be made by the Monday deadline, as the Justice Department informed the judge that the administration expects to process the payments to the plaintiffs in “not more than ten working days,” citing potential delays over the upcoming weekend.
“There are several logistical issues that need to be addressed,” Justice Department attorney Indraneel Sur mentioned on Thursday.
The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Thursday night.
An attorney for the aid organizations indicated that funding must be secured by March 14 to ensure that USAID can “keep the lights on.”
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USAID allocates billions in humanitarian aid globally, drawing from funding that accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget. For the fiscal year 2023, it received over $40 billion and extended assistance to around 130 nations, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Notably, the countries receiving the largest amounts of aid from USAID that year included Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, and Congo.
On January 20, Trump issued an executive order to freeze foreign assistance for a period of 90 days. Later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended all U.S. foreign aid financed through the State Department and USAID, leading to multiple legal challenges.
The Trump administration has sought to cut back funding at USAID, announcing plans last month to eliminate more than 90% of its contracts along with $60 billion in U.S. foreign assistance globally. If implemented, these cuts would severely limit the remaining USAID projects for advocates attempting to save them in court.
In a court filing on Thursday, the Justice Department referenced these cuts, asserting that many of the USAID contracts in question have been either confirmed for continuation or terminated, while asserting that the administration will fulfill all “legitimate payments.”
