AsianFin -- A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Voice of America, delivering a significant legal blow in an ongoing battle over the boundaries of executive authority and First Amendment protections.

In a ruling issued Tuesday, Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered that employees and contractors at Voice of America be reinstated to their positions, reversing actions taken under a March 14 executive order that had suspended their work. The injunction also applies to other U.S. government-funded media organizations, including Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

The judge’s decision is a preliminary injunction, meaning it will remain in effect while broader legal challenges against the administration’s actions continue to unfold in court.