District Court Judge Royce Lamberth Orders Voice of America Employees Back to Work

U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth issued a sweeping rebuke of the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle Voice of America.

“More than 1,000 journalists lost their jobs almost overnight — and a federal judge has now ruled that what happened to Voice of America was… More than 1,000 journalists lost their jobs almost overnight — and a federal judge has now ruled that what happened to Voice of America was flatly illegal”

Altitudes Magazine

The judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of more than 1,000 employees who had been placed on administrative leave since early 2025.

Altitudes Magazine

Lamberth mandated that all 1,042 full-time VOA employees return to work by March 23, 2026, and resume international broadcasting operations.

The judge called the administration's actions 'arbitrary and capricious' and a 'flagrant and nearly year-long refusal' to uphold statutory requirements.

Lamberth's ruling came as a decisive blow to the administration's push to radically shrink the agency.

The administration had reduced VOA from 49 language services reaching 361 million people weekly to just six language services through mass layoffs and administrative leave.

These actions effectively crippled the broadcaster's global operations.

Voice of America stands as one of America's most significant international broadcasting institutions.

It was established during World War II in 1942 specifically to counter Nazi propaganda in occupied regions.

BBC

The broadcaster built its credibility by providing news of both Allied defeats and victories, earning trust from audiences worldwide.

As the Cold War emerged, VOA expanded as a form of American soft power, delivering news to countries where free press was blocked, intimidated, or financially unviable.

The network also served as a model for pluralistic democratic journalism, incorporating unwelcome news and dissent to maintain credibility.

Until Kari Lake's overhaul, VOA reached 361 million people weekly across 49 different language services in more than 100 countries.

This made it a critical tool for projecting American values and influence globally while maintaining editorial independence from political pressure.

The Trump administration's campaign against VOA was spearheaded by President Trump's ally Kari Lake.

“The US Agency for Global Media and Voice of America must bring back staff that it placed on administrative leave and restore its broadcasts, a federal judge ruled, finding the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the agency were unlawful”

Bloomberg Law News

Lake joined the agency as senior adviser and later assumed de facto leadership despite lacking proper Senate confirmation.

She arrived at the White House with a background as a local TV news anchor and failed gubernatorial candidate in Arizona.

Lake positioned herself as a full-throated supporter of President Trump.

She immediately began remaking VOA in a 'more Trumpian image,' canceling contracts with established news services like Reuters and the Associated Press.

Lake struck a deal with the far-right One America News Network to carry its reports for free.

She also produced an hour-long retrospective praising Trump's first year back in office.

These actions reflected Trump's broader mandate to eliminate what he called the 'voice of radical America.'

The president had long targeted VOA and accused it of left-wing bias.

The administration's efforts were part of a larger push by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency to radically shrink the federal government.

Judge Lamberth's ruling established that the Trump administration's actions violated multiple legal principles.

The violations included the Administrative Procedure Act and statutory requirements set by Congress.

CBS News

The judge found that Lake 'unlawfully withheld agency action' and that her actions were 'void' because she had been improperly installed as acting CEO without Senate confirmation.

Lamberth was particularly critical of the administration's failure to provide any principled legal basis for the workforce reductions.

The judge noted that the Lake memo 'contains no findings, analysis, or consideration of any relevant factors' apart from conclusory assertions about duplication with private broadcasters.

Lamberth emphasized that Congress had appropriated $643 million specifically for maintaining substantial broadcast operations.

Lake had requested only $153 million to wind down the network.

The judge described the administration's approach as 'a hasty, indiscriminate approach' to administrative action.

Lamberth noted their 'egregious' disrespect for court orders.

The human impact of the VOA shutdown has been profound, affecting not only the sidelined journalists but also audiences worldwide.

“A spokesperson for USAGM did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment”

CNN

More than 1,000 VOA staff members have been sitting on paid administrative leave for months.

CNN

Staff were effectively frozen out of their jobs rather than being fired outright.

Among those caught in limbo were reporters from VOA's Persian Service.

These journalists were briefly called back to work during the Israel-Iran crisis in June 2025.

This highlighted their essential role during major international events.

Once the immediate crisis passed, they were returned to administrative leave.

The impact extended beyond VOA to other USAGM networks like Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.

These networks serve audiences in countries with heavily restricted press environments.

These developments raised serious concerns about maintaining editorial independence and credibility.

Lake attempted to reshape VOA into an overtly pro-Trump messaging operation.

This occurred despite the network's legal mandate to remain independent of political influence.

While the court order provides immediate relief for VOA employees, the broader legal and political battle is far from over.

The Trump administration has shown a willingness to challenge court rulings it disagrees with.

The broader question of executive authority over congressionally established broadcasters may continue to be litigated.

Kari Lake has already indicated she would appeal Lamberth's rulings.

Lake accused the judge of being an activist legislating from the bench.

The ruling sets a significant precedent that could affect the administration's stated goal of eliminating Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia.

Courts may find that such closures exceed executive authority.

Even if employees are reinstated, VOA faces the daunting task of rebuilding its operations, reputation, and global audience.

The network has been near-silent for nearly a year.

VOA's website has been frozen in time since March 15, 2025.

Restoring credibility with audiences who have lost access to reliable independent news will be a complex challenge.

This challenge extends far beyond simply putting journalists back to work.