US EditionJudge orders Trump administration to restore Voice of America and bring back hundreds of staff
Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled the near-shutdown of Voice of America was unlawful and ordered reinstatement of 1,042 employees and resumption of international broadcasts.
- On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media to reverse the decision that put more than 1,000 Voice of America employees on leave and restore VOA operations.
- Lamberth ruled that Lake's appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Appointments Clause, and that invoking Trump's March 14, 2025 executive order did not justify her actions, which he called 'arbitrary and capricious.'
- The judge highlighted specific cuts and a voided memo, noting the administration shelved 1,042 of VOA's 1,147 employees and vacated a March 2025 memo that cut the agency to 68 positions.
- The judge ordered full‑time VOA employees back by March 23, and Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz said, 'We are thrilled with Judge Lamberth's ruling and look forward to getting back to work.'
- Potential disputes loom over the VOA's editorial firewall as Kari Lake plans to appeal and Sarah B. Rogers was nominated to lead USAGM, leaving unresolved staffing issues.
145 Articles
145 Articles
Trump Admin Ordered to Reinstate Over 1,000 Employees of Agency That Runs Voice of America
A federal judge has given the Trump administration just one week to reinstate over a thousand U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) employees who were laid off last year by the organization’s CEO, Kari Lake. However, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth declined to require the government to reinstate contractors working for the agency. He ruled that those individuals have to go to the Court of Federal Claims for relief. Lamberth’s March 17 order wa…
The U.S. authorities are required to return the staff to their posts and resume broadcasting within a week.
Federal Judge Orders Voice of America to Reinstate Dismissed Staff, Resume Broadcasts.
PULSE POINTSWHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of 1,042 employees at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) after they were placed on paid administrative leave last year under the Trump administration.WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth, Kari Lake, and Voice of America (VOA) employees.WHEN & WHERE: The rulings were issued late Tuesday, March 17, 2026.KEY QUOTE: “The plaintiffs challenge the d…
Judge Slaps Down Trump-Lake VOA Shake-Up, Orders 1,000+ Employees Reinstated
A federal judge ordered more than 1,000 Voice of America employees removed from their jobs to be reinstated, in a blow to the Trump administration’s push to remake the entity and cut waste. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, of the District of Columbia, determined that the attempt to dismantle the taxpayer-funded media outlet was unlawful in an opinion Tuesday. Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, issued the opinion in the combin…
Federal judge orders Trump Administration to rehire 1,000 Voice of America employees
(NBC, KYMA) - A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) must reverse its decision that put more than 1,000 Voice of America (VOA) employees on leave. The same judge recently said the appointment of Kari Lake, who oversaw the job cuts as head of USAGM, violated federal law which threatened the validity of the actions she took in the role. VOA has been limited to broadcasting in just four languages amid the Trump …
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