WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled on March 17, 2026, that the Trump administration's effective shutdown of Voice of America in 2025 was illegal and ordered the broadcaster back on air within one week. President Donald Trump had issued an executive order to shut down Voice of America in 2025 and appointed Kari Lake to head the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have authority to suspend the U.S. Agency for Global Media workforce because she lacked Senate confirmation. In his March 17, 2026 ruling, Judge Lamberth described the decision to sack Voice of America journalists as "arbitrary and capricious" and said the government did not take into account legislation specifying the languages and regions the broadcaster must serve.

"Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision," Lamberth wrote.

Lake fired more than 85% of U.S. Agency for Global Media employees, including over 1,000 Voice of America staff. She sidelined 1,042 of Voice of America's 1,147 employees and reduced its operations to the statutory minimum required by Congress. Those decisions forced Voice of America to severely curtail its programming.

Three Voice of America journalists filed the lawsuit against the Trump administration. Patsy Widakuswara, Voice of America's White House bureau chief and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.

"We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda," said Patsy Widakuswara.

Most Voice of America employees have been on paid administrative leave since 2025. Before its suspension, Voice of America operated in 49 different languages and broadcast to 362 million people. Voice of America was established during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda and has transmitted news coverage to countries around the world since its formation.

President Trump ordered Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia to be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law. Trump's officials accused Voice of America of left-wing bias.

Kari Lake said she would appeal the ruling. President Trump nominated Sarah Rogers, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, but the Senate must confirm her nomination.