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A federal court has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the return of hundreds of its staff.

Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Historical Roots and Recent Shutdown

The VOA was first created during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Firings

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

Lake then fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.

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

Court’s Reasoning and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.

In this week's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.

Unclear Future and Wider Context

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

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

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