US judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from shutting down RFE/RL
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from shutting down Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), ABC News reported on March 25.
RFE/RL, founded during the Cold War to counter Soviet propaganda, remains a key independent news source for audiences in countries with restricted media environments.
Judge Royce Lamberth issued a temporary restraining order, ruling that the administration's attempt to defund the organization was "unsupported by any facts or reasoning" and likely violated federal law.
"The leadership of (U.S. Agency for Global Media) cannot, with one sentence of reasoning offering virtually no explanation, force RFE/RL to shut down — even if the President has told them to do so," Lamberth wrote.
The ruling comes after U.S. President Donald Trump eliminated seven federal agencies on March 14, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees RFE/RL and Voice of America (VoA).
The decision cut off congressionally approved funding for RFE/RL, while VoA employees were placed on administrative leave.
RFE/RL sued USAGM on March 18, arguing that the funding termination violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution.
Trump's allies have publicly questioned the court's authority over executive decisions, raising concerns about a looming constitutional conflict.
U.S. courts have previously intervened to stall some of Trump's major cuts, including efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Kateryna Denisova
