Trump officials will not restart most foreign aid despite court order

Despite a court order, Trump administration officials are refusing to resume funding for USAID programs.

Trump officials now in charge of the U.S. Agency for International Development have refused to reopen the flow of funding to thousands of programs worldwide, many of which have laid off employees and are struggling financially, in defiance of a federal court order.

USAID said it was allowed to terminate the majority of its contracts in a court filing late Tuesday. Additionally, it stated that it was going over each grant and contract individually to look for signs of fraud and waste and to make sure they matched President Trump’s objectives.Last week, a federal judge had ordered USAID to reopen the flow of money to the programs while the case plays out. Amir H. Ali, U.S. District Judge

He gave USAID until Tuesday to respond and explain how it was complying with the order. The case is one of several that have been filed against USAID on behalf of employees and grant recipients.

The sudden halt in funding has reverberated across the globe, forcing the shut down of everything from safe-houses for Cambodian rights defenders to the layoff of journalists investigating corruption in authoritarian states.