An US judge has determined that the practical closure of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Historical Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally set up during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Rationale and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters.
Uncertain Future and Broader Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
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 wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.
