US District Court Judge Lois Lambers ruled that the government likely has quickly violated the law to dismantle federal media groups.
A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to shut down the Voice of America (VOA) and reverse efforts to restore federal news services decades ago.
“The (defendants) took immediate and dramatic actions to reduce USAGM without considering legal or constitutional requirements, and regardless of the harm caused to employees, contractors, journalists and media consumers around the world,” Lambers wrote.
He granted provisional injunctions against plaintiffs who ordered employees of VOA, RadioFree Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network to be revived and restored to their previous status, noting that some employees were at risk or at risk of deportation by abrupt policy shifts.
VOA is under the umbrella of USAGM and oversees VOA and other media groups. These groups include Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, Middle East Broadcasting Network, Cuba Broadcasting Office, and the Open Technology Fund.
The USAGM has historically been considered our diplomatic skill.
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“As a result of the defendant’s actions, VOA has not reported news for the first time in its 80 years,” the summary of the facts read. “The website has not been updated since March 15, 2025, and overseas radio stations that rely on VOA programming are either dark or just music.”
In the injunction, Lamberth pointed to the legal requirement that the VOA “act as a consistent, reliable source of authoritative news.”
The submission also acknowledged the potential harm of affected USAGM contractors currently in the United States under a J1 visa. “People with authoritarian regimes facing the possibility of deportation to their country, and in some cases, hostile to the free press.”
On March 22, the plaintiffs affected by the decision filed a lawsuit against Kari Lake, the senior administration adviser to USAGM’s CEO, and the USAGM agents who worked to implement the executive order.
The plaintiffs insisted that in practice, government officials are “termination of the majority of USAGM staff, ending grants to affiliates, silence of programming, and threatening.”
They sought the recovery of all employees and staff that were rejected in accordance with Trump’s executive orders by six affected media subsidiaries.
In his decision, Lamberth only partially granted the plaintiff’s request, ordering the recovery of “employees, contractors and grantees” affected by the VOA, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network. Other groups under the USAGM were excluded.
The judgment was preliminary and will be subject to scrutiny once the trial proceeds or the appeal is filed by the government.
