A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Feb. 13 to temporarily lift its funding freeze on U.S. foreign aid programs, including development work worldwide, the Associated Press reported.
The ruling marks a significant setback for the administration's effort to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have accused of operating outside the administration's agenda.
Musk, who heads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has called USAID a "criminal organization" and advocated for its dissolution.
Judge Amir Ali issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, representing health organizations that receive U.S. funding for international projects.
The Trump administration ordered a 90-day freeze on nearly all foreign assistance upon taking office, placing USAID under State Department control last week. Crews were seen removing its signage from the agency's Washington headquarters on Feb. 7.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Feb. 4 that U.S. foreign aid should align with national interests rather than function as charity, emphasizing that assistance programs would not be eliminated.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support to Kyiv.
The agency has funded school reconstruction, bomb shelters, critical energy repairs, and civil society programs.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
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