The Trump administration is resisting a court order to release foreign aid funding by midnight, claiming it would take “weeks” to comply. The Justice Department filed papers asking a federal appeals court to stay the lower court’s ruling, estimating $2 billion needed to be freed up and $15 million expected by the deadline. The court had ordered the release following complaints from aid groups and businesses that the freeze was causing financial turmoil. The judge rejected a government request to stay the order and expressed skepticism about the delay. The aid groups argue that the freezing of funds had caused thousands of job losses and threatened the lives of those dependent on aid. The Justice Department claims it is following the judge’s order by conducting individual assessments of each contract or grant and acted according to the terms. However, the plaintiffs question the feasibility of reviewing over 12,000 awards quickly and have requested the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, be called as a witness. This marks the second time a judge found the administration in violation of a court order regarding funding. The concerns about the administration ignoring judicial orders were heightened by a social media post from Vice President JD Vance but Trump emphasized that his administration would follow court orders.
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