US Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Plan to Lay Off 500 VOA Employees
A US federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s plan to lay off more than 500 employees of Voice of America (VOA), following legal challenges over the move’s legality. The ruling, issued Monday by US District Judge Royce Lamberth, suspended the layoffs that were set to take effect on September 30, 2025. The terminations were spearheaded by Kari Lake, senior advisor to the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), who described the cuts as a “long-overdue effort to dismantle a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy.” However, Judge Lamberth said the Reduction in Force plan was “arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law,” pointing out that the defendants failed to comply with an earlier injunction issued in April. “The Court no longer harbors any doubt that defendants lack a plan to comply with the preliminary injunction, and instead have been […]