Trump administration must pay debts to USAID partners by Monday, judge rules

A federal judge is giving the Trump administration until Monday to pay several nonprofit groups and aid organizations that were affected by President Donald Trump’s order to freeze foreign assistance and shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali formalized a plan to ensure the federal government releases funds to at least nine groups, including the Global Health Council, Chemonics International and the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

Ali previously ordered the administration to temporarily disburse foreign aid that was in place before Trump took office on Jan. 20, an amount the government estimated to be up to $2 billion.

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On Wednesday, the Supreme Court affirmed Ali’s earlier ruling but wrote that he “should clarify what obligations the government must fulfill” to comply with his ruling.

Ali on Thursday did not order the administration to pay the full $2 billion by the deadline of 6 p.m. ET Monday but instead ordered the payment of a yet-to-be determined smaller amount to the aid organizations named in the suit.

He requested more information from the plaintiffs in the case by noon Friday, which will determine the payment amount and specific recipients.

It is unclear whether the payments will be delivered by the Monday deadline, as the Justice Department told the judge that the administration anticipates it will be able to pay the plaintiffs in “not more than ten working days” and that the upcoming weekend may pose a challenge in disbursing the funds.

“There are a number of logistical problems that have to be solved,” Justice Department attorney Indraneel Sur said Thursday.

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment Thursday night.

An attorney representing the aid groups said funding has to be provided by March 14 for USAID to “keep the lights on.”

USAID provides billions of dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid overseas from funding that represents less than 1% of the federal budget. In fiscal year 2023, it was allotted more than $40 billion and provided assistance to about 130 countries, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The countries that received the most assistance from USAID that year were Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan and Congo.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 freezing foreign assistance for 90 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded through the State Department and USAID, sparking numerous lawsuits.

The Trump administration has moved to slash spending at USAID, announcing plans last month to eliminate more than 90% of its contracts and $60 billion in U.S. foreign assistance around the world. The cuts, if they are allowed to go in effect, would leave few surviving USAID projects for advocates to try to save in court.

The Justice Department referred to the cuts in a court filing Thursday, arguing that many of the USAID contracts at issue have been reviewed and either retained or terminated, while adding that the administration will make all “legitimate payments.”