Plans for the Voice of America (VOA) are uncertain following recent actions from the Court of Appeals. On Saturday, the court issued a stay, halting a late April order from a district judge that aimed to keep the administration from dismantling the international broadcaster.
The court ruled in a 2-1 decision that the federal government is likely to prevail in the ongoing case. It also indicated that District Court Judge Lois Lambers may not have jurisdiction to challenge some of Trump’s executive orders regarding government grants and HR expenditures.
This ruling particularly impacted VOA staff, who began broadcasting again on Friday, only to learn they could return to their Washington office the following week. One anonymous employee described the situation as “devastating.”
Judges Neomi Rao and Gregory Cassas—both appointed by Trump—supported the government’s position. They noted that while USAGM employees might have valid individual claims related to HR actions, these should be pursued through other channels, as stated in their 39-page order.
However, Judge Cornelia Pillard, appointed by former President Obama, expressed dissent. She argued that the stay aimed to maintain the current state until the case could be fully decided, and lamented the impact it would have on the ability of Asia and Middle Eastern Broadcasting Networks to see the case through.
Kari Lake, a former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and a senior adviser to the US Global Media Agency (USAGM), commended the Court of Appeals’ ruling, referring to it as a substantial victory for both USAGM and President Trump.
The hill contacted USAGM for further clarification regarding the court’s decision.
On Friday, the Department of Justice informed attorneys for VOA workers that they could return to their offices after being suspended for nearly two months. An email, which was obtained by the hill, indicated that USAGM planned phased returns due to space and security concerns.
Regarding programming, the email stated that all VOA staff would need to regain system access, with broadcasts expected to resume the following week, supported by OCB staff and VOA attorney Brenda González Horowitz.
This return to broadcasting follows efforts by President Trump, whose executive order issued on March 14 aimed to dismantle seven federal agencies, including USAGM, which funds outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia while overseeing VOA.
Trump and his allies have long criticized VOA, which has been operational since 1942 and broadcasts in nearly 50 languages. They frequently claim the outlet’s coverage is biased against conservatives.
A court ruling against the VOA’s shutdown previously assessed that the administration’s actions to terminate VOA were unlawful, ordering USAGM to reinstate the international outlet. Judge Lamberth remarked on the haste and severity of the actions taken, disregarding legal requirements and causing harm to employees, contractors, journalists, and media consumers globally.
“It’s hard to conceive more capricious behavior than what the defendant has done here,” Lambers commented.
As of Saturday, some VOA reporters had been fully reinstated, according to one source familiar with the matter.
