Legal actions against the Trump administration brought by those running the U.S. Agency for International Development programs, including aid workers, contractors, and other related groups, have been steadily mounting since the foreign aid freeze in January. And after an initial flurry of efforts in the courts to immediately put a stop to the administration's actions, many of these cases are now moving toward more in-depth deliberations, with long-term decisions likely months or years away.
That doesn’t mean the litigation will stop anytime soon. Plaintiffs will continue submitting requests related to their cases, and judges will continue issuing decisions — whether that’s ensuring USAID implementers receive payments or clarifying whether a Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, staffer assigned a top USAID role is restricted by court orders from participating in efforts to shut down USAID.
So what has happened thus far? Judges have noted in their rulings that the president’s foreign affairs powers are limited and that Congress controls government spending. They’ve pointed out probable constitutional violations in how USAID was shut down, mandated that the Trump administration pay outstanding bills to foreign aid implementers, and briefly barred DOGE from further attempts to close the agency, though that decision was overturned by the appeals court Friday as it considers the appeal.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
