Washington D.C. – A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate over 1,000 federal employees at Voice of America (VOA), effectively reversing a year-long effort to dramatically downsize the international broadcaster. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, stems from a legal challenge arguing that the administration’s actions violated federal administrative law. The decision marks a significant turn in the ongoing dispute over the independence of U.S.-funded international media and the future of Voice of America as a key tool of diplomatic soft power.
Since March 15, 2025, more than 1,000 VOA employees have been on paid administrative leave even as the Trump administration sought to reduce the organization to its “statutory minimum.” An additional 600 contractors and probationary employees were terminated during the same period. Now, that prolonged period of uncertainty is coming to an end, as Voice of America, founded in 1942, potentially embarks on a path to revitalization. The core of the legal battle centered on the appointment of Kari Lake, a former television presenter and staunch supporter of President Trump, to oversee the agency’s dismantling.
The Judge’s Decision
Judge Lamberth determined that the progressive suspension of activities at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) – the parent agency of VOA – was unlawful. He ordered the agency to reinstate the 1,043 employees on leave, with a deadline of Monday, March 23rd. The judge also directed the agency to reactivate international broadcasts in its 49 languages, which had been largely interrupted over the past year, with limited programming continuing in six languages including Farsi, Chinese, and Pashto. Prior to March 2025, Voice of America reached a weekly audience of over 361 million people in 100 countries, spanning Africa, Latin America, and North Korea, according to reports.
The Legal Challenge
The turning point in the case came when the plaintiffs’ legal strategy shifted to focus on the legality of Kari Lake’s appointment. Lake was tasked with supervising the agency’s dismantling, but her position was deemed illegal because it lacked Senate confirmation. Judge Lamberth, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, subsequently nullified all actions taken by Lake over the past year, including a planned mass layoff of federal employees that he had previously blocked in September. Lake previously worked as a local news anchor and unsuccessfully ran for state office in Arizona twice.
During her tenure at USAGM, Lake signaled an intention to reshape Voice of America’s image, aligning it more closely with the Trump administration’s views. Last year, she terminated contracts with Reuters and the Associated Press, and instead entered into an agreement with One America News Network, a far-right media outlet, to provide its services for free. In recent weeks, Lake hosted a one-hour special praising President Trump’s first year back in office.
In his ruling, Lamberth found that Lake had further violated the law by disregarding Congressional intent in allocating funds to the agency and failing to consider the implications of its potential closure. “The persistent omission and concealment of key information by the defendants in this case amounted to a ‘Hallmark-style’ production of bad faith,” Lamberth wrote, referring to Lake and the government. The administration had justified its actions by citing a March 14, 2025, executive order from President Trump, which called for reducing the agency and other entities to their “minimum presence and function required by law.” A press release accompanying the order was titled: “The Voice of Radical America.” Trump and Lake had criticized VOA’s coverage as ‘anti-American’ in an attempt to justify its dismantling.
New Leadership and Uncertain Future
Following the court’s decision regarding Lake’s authority, President Trump nominated Sarah Rogers, a State Department official, as the agency’s interim CEO, a position requiring Senate confirmation. Lake has stated she will remain as the agency’s deputy CEO. Rogers has indicated that, if confirmed, she would continue to serve in her current role at the State Department as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, holding both positions simultaneously.
Contractors Left in Limbo
The court order mandates the reinstatement of the 1,043 federal employees, but does not extend to the approximately 600 contractors who were terminated. The judge lacks the authority to reinstate those whose contracts have expired, and their cases will likely proceed through labor courts to determine potential reinstatement and back pay.
Patsy Widakuswara, one of the plaintiffs in the case, described Judge Lamberth’s ruling as a “monumental decision.” “We are eager to begin repairing the damage that Kari Lake inflicted on our agency and our colleagues, to return to fulfilling our Congressional mandate, and to rebuild the trust of the global audience we were unable to serve over the past year,” Widakuswara, a former VOA White House correspondent, told Adnkronos. Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, welcomed the ruling, stating, “Silencing journalists weakens democracy, at home and abroad. The court made clear that you cannot shut down free press when coverage becomes uncomfortable.”
In the coming days, the government will need to recall Voice of America and USAGM employees and determine how to resume broadcasts after a year of significant disruption. Widakuswara noted that employees are awaiting instructions for their return, and the extent of the restoration remains unclear. “Restoring the infrastructure – from access badges to equipment, satellite systems to communication line subscriptions – will require significant funding and time,” she said.
Voice of America was established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda in occupied territories. It gained credibility by reporting both Allied victories and defeats. During the Cold War, the United States expanded VOA as a form of “soft power,” providing news to countries where a free press was suppressed or financially unsustainable. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers allocated $643 million to the agency, with specific allocations for Voice of America and other international networks. Lake had requested $153 million, an amount she argued was sufficient to liquidate the network and agency.
The Trump administration has not yet indicated whether it will appeal the judge’s decision. Lake has previously stated she would appeal Lamberth’s rulings and accused the judge of being an activist legislating from the bench.
The reinstatement of these employees represents a significant victory for proponents of independent international broadcasting. The next step will be to observe the administration’s response to the court order and to track the progress of restoring Voice of America’s global reach. Readers can find updates on the situation through MSN and CNN.
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