US Jurist Mandates Former President Trump's Government to Resume Operations at the VOA broadcaster.

An federal judge has ruled that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the return of many of its reporters.

Judicial Order Issues One-Week Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Wartime Roots and Recent Closure

The VOA was first set up during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Changes and Mass Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake then sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.

Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Court’s Reasoning and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled 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 described 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 reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.

Unclear Next Steps and Broader Implications

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed 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 almost 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.