A federal court has determined that the practical shutdown of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was first established during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's ruling, the judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
