AMNA NAWAZ: The Supreme Court today rejected the Trump administration's request to freeze billions of dollars in foreign aid for work that's already been done.

The administration asked the court to block a lower court ruling ordering the government to release the funds.

It remains unclear when the aid will now be distributed.

John Yang is here now to unpack all of this for us.

So, John, what exactly did the Supreme Court do here?

JOHN YANG: Well, you will remember, on day one, the president froze foreign aid spending.

Groups that got that money went to court.

And a district court judge here in Washington, a Biden appointee named Amir Ali, said that money for projects that had been completed had to be sent out the door.

The Trump administration went to the Supreme Court wanting to block that order.

And, today, the Supreme Court said no.

It was a 5-4 vote.

The majority included Chief Justice John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett, the conservative Trump appointee to the bench.

And I'd like to tell you why they did this, but I can't, because there was no explanation, as is usually the case when you're dealing with an emergency application.

And it's an unsigned order.

It's part of what's called the shadow docket.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about the dissenting justices?

What did they say in this case?

JOHN YANG: The dissent written by Justice Alito, he was joined by Thomas Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

He essentially said that the district court judge vastly overstepped his bounds.

He wrote: "Today, the court makes a most unfortunate misstep that rewards an act of judicial hubris and opposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers."

AMNA NAWAZ: So, in terms of the freezing or unfreezing of the funds, what happens now?

JOHN YANG: Well, it doesn't mean that the money starts going out the door immediately.

The justices sent it back to the district court, back to Judge Ali, for him to decide which programs get unfrozen and when.

He said, keep in mind the ability of the administration to carry out your order.

And conceivably there will be another hearing about which programs get unfrozen.

And the court -- I'm sorry -- the Trump administration could go in there and argue against some programs getting unfrozen.

But I would note that in the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 58 percent of those questions said they think that Trump will ignore court rulings.

AMNA NAWAZ: Fifty-eighty percent.

Well, John, what about the foreign groups, the foreign aid groups that handle all of this funding?

How are they reacting to this in the moment?

JOHN YANG: They're a little cautious, because they don't know what's going to what's going to happen next.

They don't know when this money starts flowing out.

This is Niranjali Amerasinghe, executive director of ActionAid USA.

She said: "We welcome the Supreme Court's rejection of the administration's disingenuous bid for more time to review payments and resume funding for critical lifesaving foreign assistance."

But she also said: "This ruling is not enough.

The administration must be still be obligated to disburse the funding that's being withheld and reinstate staff who may be needed to do so."

AMNA NAWAZ: John, while we have you, there was a moment last night that got a lot of attention, an interaction between President Trump as he left the podium and greeted the Supreme Court justices in attendance.

The mic picked up some of what they had to say.

Let's take a listen.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

Thank you again.

Won't forget it.

AMNA NAWAZ: "Thank you again.

Won't forget it."

John, what is that about?

JOHN YANG: Well, obviously, we don't know what the president was thanking John -- Chief John Roberts for and what he won't forget.

But it is a reminder that these are the rare events in Washington or anywhere the Supreme Court justices and a president are in the same room.

Supreme Court justices say it makes them -- some of them say it makes them very uncomfortable.

Chief Justice John Roberts a few years back said: "I don't know why we're there."

The -- Justice Thomas has stopped going about a decade ago.

Those who do go are mindful of the protocol, not to react to anything.

But, of course, we remember the 2010 State of the Union, when Chief -- when Justice Alito responded to President Barack Obama's description or criticize -- criticism of a court decision by saying, "Not true."

AMNA NAWAZ: John Yang, so good to have you here.

Thank you so much.