The U.S. Supreme Court sided with President Trump in allowing a $5 billion foreign aid freeze, a move critics say erodes congressional power and threatens humanitarian programs abroad.
The Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump another victory Friday, extending his authority to keep nearly $5 billion in foreign aid frozen — a decision that underscores his sweeping use of presidential power and leaves vulnerable communities worldwide in limbo.
In a 6-3 split, the conservative majority granted the administration’s emergency appeal, overriding a lower court that had ruled Trump’s maneuver likely illegal.
At issue is a budgetary sleight of hand: Trump invoked a rarely used “pocket rescission,” delaying notice until late in the fiscal year so that Congress would be unable to act before the money expired. By doing so, he effectively nullified Congress’s decision to spend the funds.
The unsigned majority order stressed the president’s latitude in foreign affairs, though it stopped short of a final ruling. But for liberal justices, the damage was already done.
“The effect is to prevent the funds from reaching their intended recipients — not just now but for all time,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in dissent, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The decision cements a pattern: Trump’s administration has increasingly turned to emergency Supreme Court appeals to bypass the normal judicial process — a tool previous presidents used sparingly.
Through these maneuvers, Trump has already secured green lights to purge federal workers, curb protections for migrants, and consolidate control over independent agencies.
The foreign aid freeze carries both domestic and international consequences. For Trump’s allies, it fulfills a promise to slash foreign spending and reassert “America First” priorities. But critics warn of severe humanitarian fallout: food programs suspended, medical projects stalled, and U.S. credibility further eroded at a moment when Russia and China are eager to expand their own aid footprints.
“This ruling further erodes separation of powers principles that are fundamental to our constitutional order,” said Nick Sansone of Public Citizen, which represents one of the aid groups affected. “It will also have a grave humanitarian impact.”
Whether the courts ultimately uphold Trump’s rescission authority remains unsettled. But in the meantime, billions of dollars in congressionally approved aid may vanish before ever reaching their destinations — raising a sobering question: has the balance of power between Congress and the presidency shifted permanently, one emergency order at a time?
