The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote to back a federal judge’s decision to order the Trump administration to pay $2 billion to U.S. Agency for International Development contractors, but did not require immediate payment. The Justice Department had filed an emergency application after President Trump froze the funds by executive order. The court delayed acting on the case for a week, and contractors have not been paid yet. The court stated that the case is already proceeding in the district court, with more rulings to come. It requested the judge to clarify what obligations the government must fulfill to comply with the order. Four conservative justices dissented, arguing that the judge did not have the power to compel the government to pay out taxpayer dollars. The government claimed it was unable to comply with the order for immediate payment. The contractors affected provide foreign aid services in various countries. The government’s abrupt actions in downsizing USAID led to contractors being out of pocket for completed work. The Supreme Court was urged to intervene for urgent payment to prevent layoffs and legal issues. The court was argued to not have jurisdiction to intervene at that stage, but the contractors also claimed the government had ignored the judge’s order for almost two weeks. The case is ongoing, with further hearings and rulings scheduled.
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