Chief Justice John Roberts granted an emergency request from the administration to temporarily halt a lower court’s order requiring the government to release nearly $2 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. The decision came late Wednesday night, just hours before the court-imposed payment deadline.
The one-page order issued by the Chief Justice provides an administrative stay, preventing the immediate enforcement of the lower court’s directive while the Supreme Court considers further action. The administration had argued that the sudden requirement to distribute the funds within 36 hours severely encroached upon the Executive Branch’s authority over foreign affairs. In an emergency petition to the high court, officials contended that the ruling undermined the administration’s ability to ensure that aid payments aligned with its policy objectives and were protected against fraud and abuse.
Government attorneys also took issue with the broad scope of the lower court’s temporary restraining order. They asserted that the ruling prohibited officials from reviewing aid requests on an individual basis, making compliance with the deadline unfeasible. They further claimed that had the court tailored its order to apply only to the specific plaintiffs in the case, the financial and administrative burdens on the government would have been significantly reduced. According to the administration, some payments had already been prepared for disbursement, but the blanket nature of the court’s order made it impossible to proceed in a controlled manner.
The dispute has escalated quickly in recent days. The lower court initially issued a temporary restraining order nearly two weeks ago, preventing the government from enforcing a sweeping freeze on the funds. However, during an emergency hearing on Tuesday, plaintiffs presented evidence that officials had failed to comply with the directive. The presiding judge strongly rebuked government lawyers for their inability to confirm whether any of the frozen funds had been released. As a result, the court ordered the administration to process payments by the following night.
The government immediately sought relief from the appeals court, requesting both a short-term administrative stay and a longer-term pause while the case was under review. In filings, officials maintained that compliance within the given time frame was impossible without disregarding internal payment integrity systems. They further argued that the order’s sweeping nature imposed unnecessary hardships, not only on the government but also on the broader public.
When the appeals court declined to intervene, the administration petitioned the Supreme Court, leading to the late-night ruling from Roberts. While the Chief Justice did not provide a rationale for his decision, he directed the plaintiffs to respond to the government’s arguments by noon on Friday. The case is expected to be referred to the full court for further consideration.
As the legal battle continues, those affected by the funding freeze have raised concerns about its humanitarian consequences. Many who rely on the aid programs at issue have been left in dire circumstances, with advocates warning that delays in disbursement could lead to severe hardship, including starvation and the spread of disease.
