The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court’s order requiring the Trump

administration to release nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments by Wednesday midnight.

This dispute centers around the administration’s retention of funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Justice Department filed an emergency request, seeking additional time to review the

payments for potential fraud and abuse, warning that adhering to the tight timeline could

cause irreversible financial damage. The Supreme Court ordered that further

responses be submitted by Friday but did not comment on the case’s merits.

The issue began when aid groups and contractors sued Trump after he ordered a 90-day

halt to foreign aid, to allow time for review. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, appointed

by President Biden, had ruled the freeze illegal and demanded the funds be released by

February. When payments weren’t made, Ali issued another order on Tuesday requiring the

release by Wednesday at midnight, criticizing the government for non-compliance.

The Trump administration has asked for more time, citing the broad nature of the aid freeze

affecting all foreign aid recipients, limiting the president’s flexibility and bypassing

normal review processes. Plaintiffs argue the freeze has halted vital assistance worldwide.