On Friday, U.S. Judge J. Paul Oetken in Manhattan issued a temporary restraining order against Lake, the agency, and its acting chief, Victor Morales, saying they could take no additional steps to shutter the Voice of America, the oldest of the five networks. The agency has already indefinitely suspended Voice of America’s full-time workforce and terminated all its contractual employees.

Judge Oetken wrote that he repeatedly saw merit in the plaintiffs’ allegations that Lake, Morales and the agency had violated the law and constitutional provisions, including the requirement that Trump “take care” to ensure that federal laws are enforced. Oetken noted that Congress has specifically allocated money for Voice of America since its founding.

“This is a 'classic First Amendment injur[y],” Oetken wrote in his ruling Friday. “And it is also a harm stemming from the other unlawful acts resulting in the shuttering of USAGM.”