A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from moving forward with its efforts to dismantle its external broadcast network, Voice of America (VOA).
The restraining order comes after several unions and journalism organizations representing hundreds of VOA journalists filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate their employment. It is one of three filed against the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and two senior officials — Kari Lake and Victor Morales — in recent weeks since President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order requiring USAGM and six unrelated federal agencies to effectively wind down their operations, lay off workers and terminate contract relationships. VOA is one of several broadcasters under the purview of USAGM.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge James Paul Oetken said the Trump administration could not unilaterally dismantle VOA by systematically firing employees. The restraining order prohibits USAGM from “any further attempt to terminate, reduce-in-force, place on leave, or furlough,” and requires USAGM to continue funding VOA while the case proceeds.
“Judge Oetken’s decision is a crucial for democracy, transparency, and the fundamental rights of federal employees,” Everett Kelley, the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the unions representing affected VOA workers, said in a statement.
Kelley continued: “Closing the U.S. Agency for Global Media was never about saving money — it was about silencing the free press and weakening public oversight. This ruling is a win for our members, the rule of law, the free press, and democracy throughout the world. AFGE members will continue fighting and winning. We will not be intimidated.”
“This is a decisive victory for press freedom and the First Amendment, and a sharp rebuke to an Administration that has shown utter disregard for the principles that define our democracy,” said Andrew G. Celli, Jr., the Founding Partner at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, and counsel for the plaintiffs in the case. “Our clients are at the forefront of delivering independent news and diverse perspectives to the world, especially in countries where press freedom and independent journalism are either suppressed or nonexistent. Today, their vital role has been vindicated, and their jobs preserved — at least for now. We are prepared for the next battle on their behalf.”
“This is an important first step towards reinstatement and reopening of Voice of America and the other USAGM network,” David Z. Seide, a Senior Counsel at the Government Accountability Project, said in a statement.
Crucially, the restraining order issued on Friday does not require VOA to resume broadcasting — the radio and television network, which transmits around the world, has largely been silent since the Executive Order was signed.
But Oetken strongly indicated the lawsuit is likely to work against the Trump administration when it is decided, with the judge criticizing Lake and others for attempting to silence VOA “seemingly overnight” with “no consideration of the effects.”
VOA, like other broadcasters overseen by USAGM, is federally funded through acts of Congress. Following the Executive Order, USAGM terminated its funding grants to VOA, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and the other outlets that rely on the money for its continued operations.
Each of the three lawsuits argues a common theme: That USAGM, Lake and Morales were acting beyond the scope of their authority, and that the firings and funding cuts were illegal.
Following an action brought by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty earlier this month, USAGM agreed to a single disbursement of $7.4 million in operational funding, which was expected this week. A judge overseeing that case rendered the request for the initial funding as moot, but restrained USAGM from taking further steps to pull funding grants while the lawsuit moves forward.
