A U.S federal judge has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Trump administration from terminating more than 500 employees of Voice of America (VOA), following a controversial executive order that effectively halted the broadcaster.
The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, suspends the planned layoffs set to begin September 30, declaring that the reductions “may not be implemented until this Court has ruled on the plaintiffs’ Motion.”
The judge’s order references ongoing legal challenges and an earlier preliminary injunction from April, which had already constrained the administration’s authority over VOA’s operations.
The layoff effort, orchestrated under the leadership of Kari Lake, Senior Advisor to the U.S Agency for Global Media (USAGM), faced criticism from the court, particularly over the agency’s lack of transparency and failure to show a coherent plan to comply with existing judicial orders.
Judge Lamberth noted that defendants appeared to be “running out the clock” on the fiscal year while disregarding statutory obligations.
This latest ruling extends and fortifies the April injunction, which had already limited the administration’s ability to dismantle VOA’s broadcasting role.
VOA, founded in 1942 to serve as a public diplomacy instrument, has long been mandated by Congress to function as an authoritative source of information to international audiences.
The mass layoffs threatened to undermine that mission, especially in regions with restricted media access.
Under Lake’s proposed cuts, VOA’s workforce would shrink drastically, and its operations would face significant disruption.
The court found that such measures likely violate the terms of the April injunction and risked making VOA noncompliant with its legal duties.
With the mass layoff paused, the court will now evaluate plaintiffs’ motions and determine whether the administration’s plans can proceed under stricter oversight.
Judge Lamberth’s order alludes to possible contempt proceedings if defendants continue to resist court mandates.
Both the White House and USAGM have yet to publicly respond to the ruling.
Meanwhile, this legal reprieve offers VOA a temporary safeguard as debates over press freedom, executive authority, and the role of government-funded media intensify.
