The Trump administration has requested the United States Supreme Court to issue an emergency order to maintain the freeze on billions in foreign aid. This request was filed by the administration on Monday.
The legal dispute centers around approximately five billion dollars in aid approved by Congress, which President Trump announced last month he would not disburse, invoking a contentious authority not used by a U.S. president in about fifty years.
Attorneys from the Justice Department informed a federal judge last month that an additional 6.5 billion dollars in aid would likely be spent before the fiscal year ends on September 30.
Last week, District Court Judge Amir Ali ruled that the administration’s decision to withhold funding was likely illegal.