Washington, D.C. – August 14, 2025
A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled that President Donald Trump may proceed with his administration’s freeze on billions of dollars in foreign aid, overturning a lower court order that had required the funds to be released.
In a 2–1 decision issued Wednesday, Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson and Gregory Katsas found that humanitarian organizations challenging the freeze lacked legal standing. The majority held that, under the Impoundment Control Act, only the Government Accountability Office can contest the executive branch’s withholding of congressionally appropriated funds.
The ruling lifts an injunction that had compelled the State Department to resume payments, including about $4 billion for global health programs managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and roughly $6 billion for HIV/AIDS initiatives.
Judge Florence Pan dissented, warning that the decision could weaken constitutional checks on executive power by limiting judicial review.
The aid freeze was initiated under Executive Order 14169, signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, pausing most foreign aid for 90 days except emergency food assistance and military aid to Israel and Egypt. District Judge Amir Ali had previously ruled the freeze likely unlawful and ordered funding to resume before the appellate court intervened.
The administration’s move has drawn criticism from aid groups and some members of Congress, who warn the suspension could disrupt life-saving programs worldwide.
