Supreme Battle: Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze

The Trump administration has taken its battle over foreign aid funding to the highest court in the land. On Monday, officials filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court to halt billions in foreign aid that had previously been approved by Congress, a move reported by the Washington Post.

This legal maneuver follows a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Last Friday, the court declined an appeal to overturn a lower court's decision, demanding that the administration proceed with spending approximately $11 billion in foreign aid before the congressional deadline in September.

Having imposed a 90-day pause on foreign aid on his inauguration day, Trump has further sought to withhold $4 billion earmarked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. However, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali has ruled that such actions defy appropriation laws, insisting that the administration must adhere unless Congress enacts changes. Trump attempts to utilize a 'pocket rescission' to bypass Congress, but this legal battle tests the limits of executive power.

(With inputs from agencies.)