(Dan McCaleb, The Center Square) U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts late Wednesday paused a lower court’s ruling requiring the Trump administration to release $2 billion in foreign aid payments.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali had ordered the Trump administration to pay out the money by midnight Thursday. Ali was appointed to the bench by former President Joe Biden.
In an emergency filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Trump administration argued it would take weeks to disburse the funds.
“The court’s 11:59 p.m. 30-some-hour deadline thus moved all the goalposts,” acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote to the Supreme Court. “It is not tailored to any actual payment deadlines associated with respondents’ invoices or drawn-down requests, or anyone else’s. And it has thrown what should be an orderly review by the government into chaos.”
Roberts gave plaintiffs suing the Trump administration until noon Friday to respond to the pause.
