Trump administration to restore operations at Voice of America

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that the near shutdown of Voice of America was unlawful, ordering the government to reinstate more than 1,000 employees who had been placed on leave at the organization.

The decision by District Judge Royce Lamberth marked a strong criticism of the administration, which has been pushing to significantly scale back and reshape VOA under Kari Lake, a close ally of President Donald Trump and current head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Judge Royce Lamberth said in two rulings that Kari Lake’s efforts to shut down the agency breached federal administrative law, ordering that staff be back at work by March 23. He also directed the restoration of international broadcasts, a tool the United States has long used to support press freedom worldwide.

Starting in early 2025, hundreds of journalists were first placed on administrative leave and later targeted for layoffs. By the summer, more than 600 cuts had been announced, and in total about 85 percent of the agency’s workforce was eliminated. Once broadcasting in nearly 50 languages to audiences in the hundreds of millions, Voice of America was reduced to a minimal operation with only a few language services still active.

VOA director Michael Abramowitz, who had been placed on leave, welcomed the decision, saying he was eager to return to work and stressing that the organization’s role is more important than ever.

In his ruling, Lamberth sharply criticized the government, accusing it of a “flagrant and nearly year-long refusal” to follow legal obligations set by Congress, and said Lake had openly disregarded those requirements.

Earlier this month, Lamberth also found that Lake had been unlawfully appointed to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, ruling her actions in the role invalid. He said she was not eligible to serve as acting CEO when she was elevated to the position last July without Senate confirmation. She stepped down from the role on November 19.

Following Lamberth’s request last week, the agency announced that Sarah B. Rogers, the State Department’s under secretary for diplomacy and public affairs, has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve as CEO. Until the Senate confirms her, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas will fill the role.

Employees who brought the case, including Patsy Widakuswara, Jessica Jerreat and Kate Neeper, welcomed the rulings. In a joint statement, they said they are ready to begin repairing the damage caused under Lake’s leadership, rebuild trust with global audiences, and restore the agency’s operations—while acknowledging that the process will be long and challenging. They also emphasized their commitment to delivering journalism rather than propaganda and expressed hope for continued public support.