In a closely divided 5-4 ruling, the United States Supreme Court rejected an effort by the Trump administration to block the disbursement of $2 billion in foreign aid. The majority opinion, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett along with three liberal justices, upheld a lower court’s order requiring the administration to proceed with payments for contracts involving the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department.
The decision marks the Supreme Court’s first major ruling on a legal challenge to Trump’s policies. A dissenting opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by three other conservative justices, argued that a single district judge should not have the power to compel the U.S. government to disburse such funds.
The ruling comes amid ongoing debates over U.S. foreign aid spending. The Trump administration has long sought to reduce these expenditures, with USAID, which delivers humanitarian aid in about 120 countries, being a frequent target for cuts.
