For Immediate Release
March 28, 2025
Contact: Communications Director Nikki Gamer | Cell #: (978) 884-0003 | gamer@afsa.org

Washington, D.C. – The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) welcomes today’s decision by U.S. District Court Judge J. Paul Oetken to grant a temporary restraining order in our case challenging the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. This critical, if provisional, victory helps safeguard the editorial independence of Voice of America (VOA) and affirms a core tenet of American diplomacy: the free and credible exchange of information.

AFSA is proud to represent the members of the Foreign Service serving at VOA—public servants on the front lines of U.S. public diplomacy. Their work is central to the United States’ global engagement, leveraging truthful, independent journalism to promote democratic values, counter disinformation, and build trust in the United States across some of the world’s most information-starved regions.

AFSA remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the integrity and independence of all Foreign Service members—who advance our nation’s interests through facts, credibility, and principled service.

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) is the professional association and labor union of the men and women of the United States Foreign Service.