Workers at the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcast networks filed a motion requesting a restraining order against the news outlets being shut down. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted the request and further ordered that “the defendants and their agents take no steps and impose no obligations relating to closing out the plaintiff’s grant.”
The shutdown, led by U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) head Kari Lake, came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. Lake stated the order was necessary to “scale back the bureaucracy.”
On March 19, employees requested the immediate disbursement of $7,464,559 in congressionally appropriated funds for March 1–14, 2025, and an injunction against the termination letter. The Voice of America (VOA) responded that the agency had taken administrative steps to process the payment, expecting disbursement by March 26, 2025. Due to this confirmation, the judge ruled that portion of the request was moot but granted the temporary restraining order.
Judge Lamberth stated that Congress had created law to authorize VOA and the executive branch could not unilaterally disable it. He cited the International Broadcasting Act of 1973, emphasizing the United States’ commitment to promoting freedom of expression and international peace through open communication.
RFE/RL, along with Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Agency, operates under VOA. Lake, appointed as USAGM head, had cut grants to global programs and placed nearly half the workforce on administrative leave, aiming to align the agency with American values and expand its reporting capabilities.
VOA’s mission includes providing accurate, objective news, representing America comprehensively, and presenting U.S. policies clearly while fostering responsible discussions on these policies.
