Judge Rules Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze Overstepped Authority

A federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump overstepped his constitutional authority by freezing US humanitarian and development spending abroad. However, the court did not order the restoration of terminated contracts. The ruling followed massive cuts to USAID programs as part of a historic policy shift.

A federal judge has determined that President Donald Trump exceeded his constitutional limits by halting nearly all US humanitarian and development aid spending abroad. The judge stated that the administration must comply with Congressional appropriations for foreign aid, amounting to tens of billions of dollars.

Despite the ruling, the court stopped short of mandating the revival of contracts for the vast number of programs that were cut. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced these cuts, shifting a majority of aid programs to the State Department, in what he described as a historic reform orchestrated by Trump appointees.

Criticism has been swift from Democratic lawmakers and nonprofit groups, who argue that the cuts were illegal without Congressional approval. The ruling underscores ongoing tensions over the power balance between the Executive and Legislative branches regarding foreign aid spending.

(With inputs from agencies.)