A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate operations at Voice of America (VOA), reversing a move that had sidelined much of the government-funded broadcaster and placed hundreds of employees on administrative leave. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, Royce C. Lamberth directed the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to submit a plan within a week to restore VOA’s broadcasting capacity. The outlet has been operating with only a limited staff since President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year effectively shutting down large parts of its operations. Get today's headlines by email The judge ruled that the administration’s actions to drastically reduce VOA’s workforce and programming were unlawful. More than 1,000 employees had been placed on leave, leaving the organisation functioning at what officials described as the “statutory minimum” level required by Congress. Court rejects shutdown decisionLamberth described the decision as “arbitrary and capricious,” stating that authorities failed to properly consider legal requirements governing VOA’s mandate, including its obligation to broadcast in specific languages and regions. “Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” he wrote in his judgement. Leadership dispute and legal challengeThe ruling follows an earlier decision by Lamberth that Kari Lake, who had been selected by Trump to lead USAGM, lacked the authority to implement the shutdown because she had not been confirmed by the Senate. Her actions, taken in response to the president’s directive, were central to the legal challenge brought by VOA staff. The case was supported by journalists including Patsy Widakuswara, the broadcaster’s White House bureau chief. Widakuswara welcomed the ruling, saying staff were ready to rebuild the organisation and restore its global reach after months of disruption. Administration response and next stepsLake has previously criticised the court’s intervention and indicated that the decision would be appealed. Meanwhile, Trump has nominated Sarah Rogers, a State Department official, to lead USAGM, though the appointment requires Senate approval. It remains unclear how quickly VOA can return to full operations, given the scale of the workforce reductions and programming cuts implemented over the past year. Global broadcaster with long historyFounded during the Second World War, Voice of America has long served as a U.S.-funded international broadcaster, delivering news to audiences in countries with limited press freedom. Before the shutdown, VOA operated in dozens of languages and reached hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The court’s ruling is expected to pave the way for the restoration of those services, though officials have acknowledged that rebuilding capacity and trust may take time. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 18 March 2026
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