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An federal court has declared that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the return of many of its staff.

Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

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

Historical Origins and Recent Closure

The VOA was originally created in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Changes and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.

Lake then fire over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled 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 Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“Defendants have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.

Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context

It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.

Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.