A United States federal district judge, Royce Lamberth, has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to reopen the federally funded state media network, Voice of America (VoA).

The judge, on Tuesday, also ordered the reinstatement of 1,042 full-time employees who had earlier been laid off.

Mr Lamberth ruled that Mr Trump’s attempts to shut the international media agency, which operates under the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), were unlawful.

The judge also invalidated Mr Trump’s appointment of Republican member and former news anchor, Kari Lake, to the media agency.

“The effect of the defendants’ action has been to keep USAGM employees on administrative leave despite Congress’ repeated appropriations at levels indicating a clear intent to maintain substantial broadcast operations,” the judge stated.

Mr Lamberth stated that Ms Lake’s appointment did not follow due process and that her excessive roles in the office were “arbitrary and capricious.”

Reacting to the ruling, Voice of America Director, Michael Abramowitz, applauded the judgement and expressed excitement about resuming work operations.

“We are thrilled with Judge Lamberth’s ruling and look forward to getting back to work. Voice of America has never been more needed,” Mr Abramowitz said.

The latest ruling follows an earlier temporary order in September 2025, which restrained staff layoffs.

Established at the beginning of World War II, the Voice of America (VoA) was created to counter Nazi propaganda, mostly reporting the victories of the Allied forces.

The agency, however, evolved during the Cold War, providing news stories to countries that particularly lacked a free press.