WASHINGTON — The Trump administration must temporarily allow the disbursement of foreign aid, a judge ruled Thursday, dealing the latest blow to the administration’s sweeping efforts to halt international aid.
The court order came in response to a lawsuit filed by nonprofits that work on international aid projects.
They had asked that the judge block President Donald Trump‘s executive order, signed last month, that implemented a blanket pause on U.S. foreign aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently ordered an immediate halt to nearly all U.S. foreign assistance.
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Rather than ruling against the entire executive order, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali made a narrower decision Thursday, saying the administration for now could not suspend or cancel foreign assistance that was in place before Trump took office.
He also said in his ruling that the administration has not yet “meaningfully contested, detailed and credible evidence of harm to countless American businesses, ranging from shutting down programs, to furloughing and laying off employees, to shuttering altogether.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
The judge instructed the parties to file a joint status report by Friday at 5 p.m. regarding further legal proceedings.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
