President Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a legal battle over his administration’s freeze on nearly $12 billion in USAID foreign-aid payments. The request seeks to overturn a lower court injunction requiring the funds to be released before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
In January, on the first day of his return to the Oval Office, President Trump signed an executive order halting most foreign aid expenditures. The White House cited concerns over waste, fraud, and the need for strategic realignment. That pause drew lawsuits from several aid organizations, which argued that the administration lacked the authority to delay funding already approved by Congress.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali sided with the plaintiffs, ordering the administration to resume disbursements. However, a divided D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the injunction in a 2–1 ruling. The court held that the plaintiffs lacked standing under the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 law meant to prevent presidents from bypassing Congress’s budget decisions.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court to keep the freeze in place while the legal fight continues. Sauer argues that only Congress, not the courts, can resolve disputes under the ICA, and that private organizations cannot sue the executive branch over its budgetary decisions. The filing warned that without relief, USAID will be forced to commit billions in funding, potentially locking the administration into policies that contradict its agenda.
The dispute is part of a broader tug-of-war over federal spending authority. President Trump’s team maintains that the executive has the constitutional power to manage and pace spending, especially when national interests are at stake.
If the Supreme Court sides with President Trump, the decision would mark a significant win for executive authority and set limits on judicial interference in foreign aid policy. It would also reinforce the administration’s goal of ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not sent abroad without proper oversight or strategic alignment with U.S. interests.
The Supreme Court’s response is expected before the September 30 deadline, when current law mandates that unspent USAID funds be either obligated or rescinded.
