Chief Justice John Roberts supports a temporary halt on foreign aid payments as Trump’s administration faces legal and logistical challenges.
In a key legal ruling, the US Supreme Court has temporarily supported President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid payments. The intervention by Chief Justice John Roberts came as the administration confronted a midnight deadline to process payments to contractors, which they argued could not be completed in time due to logistical constraints.
Since taking office, President Trump has rapidly moved to scale back numerous foreign aid programmes, many managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). His administration has placed most of USAID’s staff on administrative leave or dismissed them entirely, aiming to reduce the size of the federal workforce and slash costs. This push is part of broader efforts to overhaul government agencies, led in part by billionaire advisor Elon Musk.
In response to an order from US District Judge Amir Ali, which required the State Department and USAID to disburse approximately $2 billion to contractors, the Trump administration turned to the Supreme Court for relief. Judge Ali’s ruling threatened to derail the government’s ongoing review of foreign aid funding, which is central to Trump’s vision of reducing global aid spending.
The Trump administration contended that the judge’s deadline had created chaos, making it impossible to process the payments efficiently. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris argued that the order disrupted the administration’s methodical review of foreign aid. As a result, the Supreme Court’s intervention has temporarily halted these payments.
Since the freeze began, the effects have been widespread, with hundreds of programmes across the globe being paused. The United States, as the largest global provider of humanitarian aid, has a presence in over 60 countries, and much of its international work is carried out by private contractors. Trump’s goal is to cut over 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and reduce overall US overseas aid by $60 billion.
The ruling marks just one of several judicial challenges to the Trump administration’s sweeping orders, further complicating the political and logistical landscape surrounding US foreign aid.
