A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt layoffs at Voice of America, freezing the planned elimination of 532 full-time staff positions at the US Agency for Global Media. The cuts would have represented most of the agency’s remaining employees.
US District Judge Royce Lamberth’s decision followed the Trump administration’s March executive order shutting down VOA broadcasts, siding with employees who argued that the move violated the agency’s mandate to provide reliable news.
In his written order, Lamberth said he “no longer harbors any doubt” that the defendants, including USAGM and its acting CEO Kari Lake, “lack a plan to comply with the preliminary injunction.” He accused officials of “running out the clock on the fiscal year while remaining in violation of even the most meager reading of USAGM and Voice of America’s statutory obligations.”
The White House criticized the decision in a statement to Reuters, calling Royce, “an activist judge” who was attempting “to subvert the will of the American people.”
Under the direction of Trump adviser Kari Lake, approximately 1,400 USAGM employees have been terminated or placed on indefinite leave since March. The cuts included nearly 600 contract employees and most permanent staff, bringing VOA’s 49-language service down to just four languages while canceling contracts with AP, Reuters, and AFP.
The cuts sparked immediate legal challenges led by Voice of America White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara and VOA Director Michael Abramowitz, who argued the administration overstepped its authority and violated federal laws governing USAGM’s independence and constitutional press protections. Judge Lamberth initially ruled the layoffs “arbitrary and capricious,” ordering staff reinstatement and normal operations restored.
However, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily froze that ruling in May, allowing cuts to continue. Additional actions included terminating a federal lease for new headquarters and listing VOA’s longtime Washington building for sale, triggering deportation deadlines for contractors with employment-based visas.
The layoffs will be paused while Judge Lamberth checks whether USAGM is following his earlier court order from April, requiring the agency to keep Voice of America operating in line with its legal duty to always provide dependable and authoritative news. Until the judge is satisfied they’re complying with that requirement, the layoffs will not move forward.
