Top US Court Announces Judgment on Donald Trump's Bid to Withhold $2bn in Foreign Aid

• The US Supreme Court has ordered the release of nearly $2 billion (R$12 billion) in foreign aid payments frozen by Donald Trump
• The ruling, issued on Wednesday, March 5, upheld a lower court’s verdict requiring Trump to pay contractors and nonprofits for completed work under the US Agency for International Development and State Department programmes
• The verdict was based solely on funds already allocated for projects completed before February 13, 2025, following Trump’s controversial executive order that imposed a 90-day freeze on foreign aid spending

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global affairs.

Washington, USA - The United States (US) Supreme Court has rejected a request by the Donald Trump administration to withhold nearly $2 billion (£1.6bn) in payments to foreign aid organisations.

The payments were for work the organisations had already performed for the government.

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, the top court upheld a lower court ruling ordering the administration to release the funds to contractors and grant recipients of the US Agency for International Development and the State Department.

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The BBC, which noted the development, said the Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, declined to halt the lower court order that required the Trump administration to release the payment.

According to the US court, Judge Amir Ali's deadline for the immediate payment had now passed, and the district court should "clarify what obligations" the administration must fulfil to comply with the order.

The government had said it was unable to comply with Ali’s order earlier this week that the $2 billion in payments be made by last Wednesday night, March 5.

Specific projects affected by the payment freeze include the installation of new irrigation and water pumping stations in Ukraine; waterworks upgrades in Lagos, Nigeria; the supply of medical equipment in Vietnam and Nepal; and measures to combat malaria in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia.

Trump to cut funding for some universities

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Trump announced that he would cut funding for universities that permit what he termed "illegal" protests and prosecute and deport foreign students who participate.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that "all federal funding will stop" for schools allowing such protests.

This announcement followed massive student protests against Israel's war in Gaza, which swept across US college campuses, including Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng