US partially unfreezes funding for foreign programs - Reuters
Funding for foreign programs is partially unblocked (photo: Getty Images)
The Trump administration has released $5.3 billion of previously frozen foreign aid. The unfreezing of funds is primarily directed toward security programs and efforts to combat drug trafficking, according to Reuters.
The agency obtained a list of 243 additional approved exceptions, totaling $5.3 billion, as of February 13. The list provides the most comprehensive record of funds released since Trump ordered the freeze and highlights the White House's efforts to reduce aid to programs it does not consider vital to U.S. national security.
The list identifies programs to be funded and the U.S. government agencies overseeing them.
The vast majority of the released funds—over $4.1 billion—was allocated for programs managed by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. State Department, which oversees arms sales and military aid to other countries and groups. Other exceptions were linked to Trump's immigration reform efforts and initiatives aimed at halting the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., particularly the deadly opioid fentanyl.
According to the list, more than half of the programs that will be allowed to continue are implemented by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and focus on combating the illegal drug trade and illegal immigration into the United States.
These exceptions cost $293 million and included funds for databases to track migrants, identify potential terrorists, and exchange biometric information. Reuters could not determine whether any other exceptions were granted, as they were not included in the list.
USAID programs
Unlike the security-related programs, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs received less than $100 million in exceptions, according to the list. This contrasts with approximately $40 billion in USAID programs that were administered annually before the freeze.
The released USAID programs included $78 million for non-food humanitarian aid in Gaza, which was devastated by war. An additional $56 million was allocated to the International Committee of the Red Cross in connection with a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as the list showed.
The list did not include specific exceptions for some of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, such as those in Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. This suggests that funding for these countries is likely still suspended.
At the same time, as the list showed, security-related exceptions include $870 million for programs in Taiwan, $336 million for the modernization of Philippine security forces, and over $21.5 million for bulletproof vests and armored vehicles for the Ukrainian National Police and Border Guard.
The largest non-security exception was the $500 million funding for PEPFAR-the US's main HIV/AIDS program, which primarily funds medical services in Africa and is considered responsible for saving millions of lives.
This compares to PEPFAR's annual budget of $6.5 billion for 2024. The program is administered by the US State Department's Bureau of Global Health.
A current USAID employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the process of submitting exception requests as very dysfunctional and said that the remaining agency staff were seeking clarification on the criteria being used. Rubio stated that the Trump administration reached out to USAID missions abroad to identify and designate programs that would be exempted from tax payments.
Freezing of funding for foreign programs
Shortly after taking office on January 20, Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign aid. The US suspended all foreign assistance - from programs fighting hunger and deadly diseases to providing shelter for millions of displaced persons worldwide.
The freeze sparked a battle among American officials and humanitarian organizations seeking exceptions to continue critical programs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that all foreign aid should align with Trump's 'America First' priorities, noted that by the end of January, Trump had granted exceptions for military aid to Israel and Egypt, key US allies in the Middle East, as well as for life-saving humanitarian aid, including food assistance.
However, current and former US officials and humanitarian organizations argue that only a few exceptions to the foreign aid rules were approved.
Trump has long been opposed to foreign aid, which on average has accounted for less than 2% of total federal spending over the past 20 years, according to data from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He described the American foreign aid industry as one that in many cases contradicts American values.
Billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency led efforts to eliminate the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the primary mechanism for American foreign aid and a critical tool of US soft power to gain influence abroad.
On February 14, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding to hundreds of foreign contractors who had lost funding due to the freeze on programs.
