Key facts
- A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's request to immediately intervene in a legal battle over billions in foreign aid funds.
- An estimated $12 billion of the $30 billion at stake is set to expire after Sept. 30 if not committed.
- US District Judge Amir Ali ruled the administration's refusal to spend the aid likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
- The administration has signaled it will likely ask the US Supreme Court to consider the case on an emergency basis.
- The ruling came from a three-judge appeals panel on the DC Circuit.
The Trump administration has lost a legal bid to immediately halt a court order requiring it to spend billions in foreign assistance funds that are set to expire at the end of September. A three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on Friday rejected the government's request for an emergency intervention, with two judges voting against the administration.
US District Judge Amir Ali had previously ruled that the administration's efforts to withhold the congressionally approved funds likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The Justice Department has indicated it plans to ask the Supreme Court to review the case on an emergency basis and pause the injunction.
An estimated $12 billion of the $30 billion in question is scheduled to expire after September 30 if the State Department and the US Agency for International Development do not at least commit to spending plans. The administration's actions are part of a broader effort to reduce US engagement abroad. Judges Cornelia Pillard and Florence Pan voted to deny the government's request, while Judge Justin Walker indicated he would have supported it. The ruling is the latest setback for President Donald Trump in his efforts to control the allocation of congressionally appropriated funds.