Payment for work done can't be stopped: US top court

Surprisingly, the conservatives-dominated Supreme Court had upheld the judgment of Washington-based District Court Judge Amir Ali's order that the US government cannot withhold payments to foreign contractors and workers for work done.

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The court in a 5-4 unsigned order asked Judge Ali to consider the feasible time-frame for compliance of payments order. Six of the nine Supreme Court judges are conservatives appointed by Republican presidents, including Chief Justice John Roberts. But in an interesting division, two of them, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, went with the three liberal judges. Justice Samuel Alito wrote a dissenting judgment for the four conservative judges, questioning the authority of a district judge to interfere in the decision of the executive. The liberal majority did not offer any opinion except directing the district judge. Judge Ali had set the deadline of February 26 to disburse $2 billion owed to foreign agencies. The majority directed Judge Ali to "clarify what obligations the government must fulfil to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard to the feasibility of any compliance timelines." The Trump government did not question the authority of the district judge but it questioned the short deadline.