The U.S. Supreme Court has instructed a federal district court to enforce a temporary restraining order that prevented the Trump administration from blocking the payment of approximately $2 billion in foreign aid. This effectively means the White House must follow a court-ordered process in releasing the funds.
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of dismissing the Trump administration's sovereign immunity argument. The Trump administration had tried to block the payment of grants funded by Congress for U.S. Agency for International Development programs.
The Trump administration was sued by the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, which said it had funding promised by the government frozen by the White House. The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition said it provides effective HIV prevention options to countries around the world.
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USAID is at the forefront of global development and humanitarian assistance, working in over 100 countries to promote economic growth, health, education, and democratic governance. However, the Trump administration claims it is rife with wasteful spending and fraud.
The Trump administration claimed that the plaintiffs could not file a suit against the government without its consent. Previously, a district court rejected this argument and said the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition is allowed to claim their payment rights.
Justice Samuel Alito authored a dissenting opinion, questioning the district court's authority to compel a $2 billion payment.
"Today, the Court makes a most unfortunate misstep that rewards an act of judicial hubris and imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers. The District Court has made plain its frustration with the Government, and respondents raise serious concerns about nonpayment for completed work. But the relief ordered is, quite simply, too extreme a response," Alito wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the Supreme Court's decision in the case.
“President Trump’s attempt to halt foreign aid funding was a reckless, cruel, and unprecedented abuse of executive power. The lower court rightly held that President Trump exceeded his authority when he unilaterally declared he was freezing funding for programs Congress had already authorized, stiffing federal contractors who had already done work," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "We’re pleased to see the Supreme Court uphold the Constitution and act as an essential check on the executive branch in this case brought by Public Citizen."
