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A federal court has ruled that the practical shuttering of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its journalists.

Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.

Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was originally created in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.

Lake then fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees in their jobs.

Most of the dismissed 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.

Judge’s Rationale and Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.

In this week's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that dictate 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’ Lawsuit and Response

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

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

Uncertain Future and Broader Context

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.