BREAKING: Judge Amir Ali, one of the final Biden appointees confirmed, just temporarily restored what looks like a wide swath of foreign aid funding that had been blocked. Full order: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... - ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

chrisgeidner.bsky.social • 8 days ago

BREAKING: Judge Amir Ali, one of the final Biden appointees confirmed, just temporarily restored what looks like a wide swath of foreign aid funding that had been blocked.

Full order: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277336/gov.uscourts.dcd.277336.21.0_4.pdf

Comments

joshfrai.bsky.social•8 days ago

Go deep state!

dumatau.bsky.social•8 days ago

Except USAID workers are locked out here & forced to return or are suspended overseas. How will aid get to final destination?

remysmom.bsky.social•8 days ago

Grateful for these judges!

secretiveinsect.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thank you!!!

chandranatha.bsky.social•8 days ago

How will he enforce his ruling?

hahnyock.bsky.social•8 days ago

An order doesn’t restore anything. There have been orders but they aren’t being obeyed. That’s the issue with many of the law wonk posts. They assume the admin will abide by the order. It assumes an attitude and a time that is now in the past.

kovarsky.bsky.social•8 days ago

they don't assume this. the people writing "law wonk" post are by orders of magnitude more familiar with the factors that go into compliance with court orders than are folks who are like "lol but who iz duh enforssing"

segyges.bsky.social•8 days ago

agree, with also: if the order is being violated willfully it is straight up a constitutional issue and specifically pushing it in excruciating detail in writing on as many fronts as possible is how you push towards its resolution

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

meza.bsky.social•8 days ago

That was an informative and reassuring read, thank you.

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

Please tell me how that judge is planning to enforce this ruling . Or deliver the aid to Mozambique or The Congo, where USAID workers already were terminated and evacuated and are no longer on site. Oh and their domiciles and facilities were looted

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

Kinzinger wrote too.
https://substack.com/@adamkinzinger/note/c-93323805?utm_source=notes-share-action And I never said give up. I said be realistic

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Glad he wrote something today that literally echoes some of the precise things I said on Tuesday.

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

I personally know someone who was laid off from a grant funded job feeding nursing women in Mozambique. Her whole project was laid off. Already. I read a first hand account of the evacuation from Congo. Show me the evidence that Trump is listening to anything that's been ordered. I don't see it.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

There were people who had action taken against them. The piece acknowledges that. That is the type of evidence used in these cases to show harm. No one doubts that. However, the USAID orders taking people off administrative leave were followed. It sounds like your example might be covered …

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

Maybe.
I hope so.
The account I read, they were not even given money to evacuate or logistical support. Had to find their own way home.
I hope you're correct.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

… by tonight’s order.

I’m sorry, but “I don’t see it,” isn’t an answer. It’s happening.

That’s why tonight’s order matters.

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

Again, that's the order.
Let me know when they open the programs which have been shuttered and hire new people or send the old ones they just fired back.
And rebuild and stock the looted premises in Kinshasa

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

No one is talking me out of democracy; I'm trying to talk you out of denial. You're talking about aid being restored to places where the physical apparatus and the personnel are gone or destroyed. How is it you see this starting up again? Don't tell me to stop. Tell me how rehiring those aid workers

serendipityfalcon.bsky.social•8 days ago

is going to happen. Practically.
I cede nothing to Trump or Musk, least of all democracy, but we have to be honest and face the fact that he is NOT complying. What's the plan to change that?

kovarsky.bsky.social•8 days ago

it ... never ... fucking ... ends

davidsacerdote.bsky.social•8 days ago

Do we have any reason to believe that the Musk administration will actually comply with the court order this time, unlike all the other ones they're ignoring?

batyalee.bsky.social•7 days ago

NIH restarted funding grants after the court demanded it.

davidsacerdote.bsky.social•7 days ago

What I'm hearing is that while nominally unfrozen, many grant recipients can't actually access the money because they broke much of the rest of the payment chain. That's in effect noncompliance with the court order.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/nih-and-its-agencies-are-being-smothered/sharetoken/dfbf54df-014b-4925-8bae-2beab653a608

batyalee.bsky.social•7 days ago

sigh. It's so easy to break systems and so hard to put them back together again. I hope that gets ironed out, but I'm not holding my breath.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

davidsacerdote.bsky.social•8 days ago

I get where you're coming from, but we're going to need to see active enforcement of court orders, not just telling people nicely to follow the law. Courts need to take the position that due to ongoing and widespread lawbreaking, this is necessary up-front for this particular set of defendants.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

They. Are. Following. Them.

zzzeek.zzzeek.org•8 days ago

Governor Josh Shapiro is suing the Trump admin over a $2B freeze on their funds for which there are already "multiple court orders" that they are not following

We are told all day long about court orders not being followed so this is difficult to understand

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2025/02/shapiro-sues-trump-administration-over-unconstitutional-funding-freeze.html

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

This is because he has a Republican AG, I imagine, who didn’t join the lawsuit. I’m done reading for the day, but, that’s my guess.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

I’m sorry, you’re literally making up future scenarios — THAT MY PIECE ADDRESSES — and then act as if they’ve already happened.

I’m sorry. I did the work. Read it, and move forward. Or don’t. Your call!

davidsacerdote.bsky.social•8 days ago

What you're up against is not my personal belief here, or that there is zero compliance, it's that we've got news outlets citing specific examples of non-compliance.

Here's a typical example, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/us/politics/trump-federal-aid-freeze.html

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libratwo.bsky.social•8 days ago

wonderful👍🥰

damntam.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yus! Status reports! 🤓

kdbyproxy.bsky.social•8 days ago

Recall how Manchin said he wouldn't vote to confirm any judges unless they had a Republican voting Yea? The vote on Ali was party line, yet Manchin voted Yea, and without his vote, it would have failed.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

That’s not what he said after the election.

kdbyproxy.bsky.social•8 days ago

I just know what he said before.

hittielove2.bsky.social•8 days ago

Good. Lets see if they comply.

jerrijamz.bsky.social•8 days ago

That would be the million-dollar question.

silverhairdontcare.bsky.social•8 days ago

But are there any teeth that can ensure this actually happens?

sabarth.bsky.social•8 days ago

Sinto muito!
Quatro anos de sofrimento...
Nada do que digas e escrevas vai mudar isso.
Sorry!

lindafly.bsky.social•7 days ago

So glad to hear that!

voscovery.bsky.social•8 days ago

Wake me up when a Judge puts someone in jail for contempt, and Bondi refuses to send the Marshalls. Lets just jump to the part where the coup succeeds or fails.

unclehatt.bsky.social•8 days ago

You think Marshalls are how this ends? Get your marching shoes ready, my friend. Get your poster board. The Marshalls won't enforce this; we enforce this.

stparadise.bsky.social•8 days ago

Trump has not indicated non-compliance. He kind of acknowledged the system. We will see.

witwarrior.bsky.social•8 days ago

Trump is asking his lawyers, as always, not “What’s legal?” but “What can we get away with?”

stparadise.bsky.social•8 days ago

I think he will cave on all of it.

chaseacross.bsky.social•8 days ago

He's *ordered it* restored. In the year of our lord 2025, a judge ordering something is increasingly tantamount to a wish.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

chaseacross.bsky.social•8 days ago

I appreciate all that -- make the bad guys openly defy court orders! -- but we do need to start being clear about the difference between "judge orders thing" and "thing has happened". Because that distinction, horribly, matters now!

mindyc7609.bsky.social•8 days ago

Still waiting to hear how these orders are being enforced.... 💁‍♀️

roccafella.bsky.social•8 days ago

NPR was just talking about this the other day and said so far they haven't defied any of the court orders yet

Do you have a specific example where it seemed clear they WERE defying a court order?

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chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

mindyc7609.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thank you for the link. I hadn't seen your piece, and I did read it. I live in Ohio, so it's tough to be optimistic at the moment. I have a 17-year-old son, and I am scared for his future. 😞

mungomortimer.bsky.social•8 days ago

Mindy, I don't blame you for being concerned. My girls are grown and married and I am still concerned about their future. Ohio, which is where I have lived for 47 years, is more troubling than ever ...

mindyc7609.bsky.social•7 days ago

I have lived here for 44 of my 54 years. Grew up here, left for a decade, but came back in 2004 to be closer to family. This state is not what it was 20 years ago. We are hopeful our son will end up somewhere more...moderate, then we'll follow. A lot could happen between now and then, though. 🫤

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

No fret. I’m a Buckeye, and still have family there — so I get it!

debipenny24.bsky.social•8 days ago

Love you Biden for stacking those JUDGES🇺🇸✌🏼☮️🦋🏆

stparadise.bsky.social•8 days ago

Trump is being swarmed with adverse judicial decisions!

irishace11.bsky.social•8 days ago

Who died and made the Pope the Boss?

xanadian.bsky.social•8 days ago

Traditionally, the previous pope

angelajoy.bsky.social•8 days ago

Bless

ckcpottery.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thank you judge for doing the people’s work by following the rules of law. Stop these scofflaws from breaking our government.

connorthesapien.bsky.social•8 days ago

annie-carolyn.bsky.social•8 days ago

Releasing funds is good only if there are people on the other end to carry out the mission.

Are the appropriate people there?

ajdiii.bsky.social•8 days ago

This is why it was so important that the last Senate confirmed a ton of judges before the current Senate was seated.

hittielove2.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yes!

danamichelle.bsky.social•8 days ago

Just another piece of paper! It means nothing! Who is going to stop them? Who is going to hold them accountable? NO ONE!

pissed4ever.bsky.social•8 days ago

They will ignore it.

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Stop this. I wrote 3,000 words on why this is both wrong and counterproductive. https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy

heywoodjablowme420.bsky.social•8 days ago

That bit about def arguing that "well the President told the agencies to do this, but he's not an agency, so when the agency did it, technically it was the President doing it and he's not bound by the APA" is one of the most howlingly stupid things I have ever heard.

matunos.bsky.social•8 days ago

but is the aid going to flow?

robotblue.bsky.social•8 days ago

Uh huh. I will believe it when they actually unlock it and it is out the door

old-as-dirt.bsky.social•8 days ago

Trump's and Musk's actions have caused deaths.

nicksones.bsky.social•8 days ago

Why won’t anyone break in on the local stations at this hour. Hell Cronkite et al would have…

fstepfer.bsky.social•8 days ago

you can start by sharing the article here is a gift link Good gift article about how gutting Dept of Ed could affect Special Education in particular and education in general. Yet another issue to bring up when calling Congressional Representatives and Senators.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/opinion/trump-education-disability.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.Ummq.Osg1mY_CqkBg&smid=url-share

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ali: “Defendants have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, which set off a shockwave and upended reliance interests for thousands of agreements … around the country, was a rational precursor to reviewing programs.”

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lindafly.bsky.social•7 days ago

That’s too deep for this group of Neanderthals to contemplate. And we’re in extra legal territory now anyway.

ztopia.bsky.social•8 days ago

OK…. is the lawsuit against

(A) the SPENDING FREEZE

or

(B) the lawsuit against DOGE SPENDING CUTS / dismantling of the USAID

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

Subscribe to Law Dork to keep up with and support my independent legal journalism.

https://www.lawdork.com/

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

NOTE: Here’s Judge Ali, explaining that plaintiffs narrowed their original request for relief, and then noting that, in his order, he narrowed it further.

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roxannewillis.bsky.social•8 days ago

That's lame. Why?

xanadian.bsky.social•8 days ago

What does this mean? Is it good or bad to narrow the relief in this case?

chrisgeidner.bsky.social•8 days ago

This is a careful opinion, despite some characterizations that you are certain to be hearing about it.

rustyantel.bsky.social•8 days ago

New judge, but one who knows what he’s doing.

Narrowing the relief ordered will help his order stand up on appeal.