A Federal Judge in New York granted a temporary restriction order on Friday to several Voice of America journalists who tried to stop the Trump administration from concluding the international broadcaster on the grounds that the move is illegal and unconstitutional.
While the judge issued his order to block the administration to dissolve VOA, the network employees suddenly received ‘NE -mail from the Customer Service Team for Human Resources which offered an opportunity to re -apply for the “Fork in the Road” postponement program. The deadline for the program, which was supposed to attract federal workers to voluntarily quit and accept a buyout as part of Doge’s efforts to reduce expenses, was initially on February 12.
US District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken issued the temporary restriction order to prevent any further administration efforts to end VOA.
Andrew G. Celli Jr., a lawyer of the VOA journalists who filed a case, said: “It is a decisive victory for freedom of press and the first amendment, and a sharp rebuke for an administration that showed a total disregard for the principles that define our democracy.”
“As part of the broader workforce reforms initiated by President Trump, the federal government undergoes significant restructuring to increase efficiency, accountability and performance. These changes are designed to build a more effective, high-performing federal workforce,” the email, which was sent at 2:27 p.m.
“In accordance with these reforms, the agency provides another opportunity for employees to voluntarily from the federal service through the postponed resignation program (DRP). This program is available from 28 March to 9 April 2025,” the E -mail, which The independent Review, prosecute. “Employees who choose to participate in the DRP will retain full payment and benefits and will be exempt from personal work requirements until September 30, 2025 unless they prefer to leave earlier.”
The judge’s order temporarily prevents the administration from going forward with the firing of hundreds of VOA contractors who would be terminated on Monday. In addition, the block would stop the 900 employees placed on indefinite leave for a time being targeted for a reduction in power. The restriction order is likely to be in effect for three weeks.
After a hearing on Friday, Patsy Widakuswara, head of the White House of Voa, said the judge indicated that he would rule in the network’s favor. At the same time she said The independent She wasn’t quite sure what the renewed buyout offer meant for the future of the network.
“I don’t know what the fork in the road -mail means today, or the intention of Kari Lake with Voa moving forward,” she said. “My colleagues and I are focused on the struggle for our legal rights to sign up and broadcast as by Congress, and in defense of our editorial independence under the VOA Charter.”
Voice of America’s chief national correspondent Steve Herman, who last month by the Administration for Social Media Posts, which was presumably anti-Trump, was also tweeted that Lake staff members requested to check their emails for “another of the” Fork in the Road offers “who would give employees 12 days to take a purchase until September.
Only a day before, the Trump administration supported a case filed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and agreed to withdraw a grant termination and allow the broadcaster to continue to receive federal funds. The US Global Media Agency is both supervised by RFE/Rl and Voice of America.
A similar lawsuit filed against the administration by VOA director Michael Abramowitz is still pending. A representative for the USAGM and Lake did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order requesting that the USAGM be eliminated “to a maximum extent that corresponds to the appropriate legislation.” Kari Lake, his senior adviser of the agency, immediately suspended the entire VOA labor force, saying that contractors would be in effect at the end of the month. She also drew the financing of the non -profit international announcers supported by the USAGM, including RFE/Rl and Radio Free Asia.
“The US World Media Agency will continue to deliver all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s Purview and cast off everything that is not required statutory,” Lake wrote at the time. ‘I fully support the president’s executive order. Waste, fraud and abuse are working in this agency and US taxpayers don’t have to finance it. ‘
In their lawsuit against Lake and the Trump administration, six VOA journalists -including the VOA white house -Buro head, Patsy Widakuswara and the freedom of the press freedom Jessica Jerreat -said the ‘wholesale dissolution of Usagm’ was a ‘direct violation of the law’ and violated the independence and integrity of the agency. In addition to the Voice of America staff members, the case joined without borders by various unions and press cruise groups. Just a few days before Trump ordered USAGM to be taken apart, he burst over a question that Widakuswara asked about his proposal to clean Gaza of all Palestinians.
“Defendants also contradict the explicit statutory requirement of the congress that USAGM exists as an independent news agency to submit a reliable and objective news source to the world,” the complaint added. “Defendants have violated all these laws by closing USAGM and distributing the affairs of the collection and distribution of news and opinion via VOA and his sister service radio and televisión Martí, as well as the beneficiary affiliate-affiliate RFE/RL, RFA, and MBN.
More than 900 full -time network employees were suspended indefinitely earlier this month, while 550 contractors were told that their work would be terminated on March 31. In addition, the majority of staff at Usagm were placed on indefinite leave.
Since Lake’s greasy order that Voa essentially closed on March 15, the Radio Network – which boasted a global audience of 360 million – has been from the air, and no new stories have been published on its website. The silence of the 80-year-old broadcaster was celebrated by authoritarian regimes all over the world, which noticed the VOA lawsuit.
‘In the world in general, the vacuum that left defendants that draws the plug to USAGM’s news networks is filled by propagandists whose messages will monopolize global airwaves, while Voa’ and other USAGM entities’ are ‘silenced’, the complaint said.
The plaintiffs also pointed out that the president-who has long been critical of Voice of America before trying to force the network to print a pro-Trump message during his first administration.
“Unfortunately, if history learns lessons, this latest abuse comes just as little. In 2020, the first Trump administration -which is not needed with the news coverage distributed by Usagm networks worldwide -to refrigerate journalists in their news storage and expressions and isolating the fire department by Usagm and its networks from the Partisan. ‘The attempt was discontinued by a federal district judge’s award of a preliminary order. Today, the second Trump administration took a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an effort to close it completely. The same judicial response – Swift and definitely – is needed. ‘
