US top court temporarily blocks district judge order for Donald Trump on foreign aid funding

Roberts issued an interim order placing on hold Washington-based US District Judge Amir Ali's action that had imposed a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday night. Roberts provided no rationale for the order, known as an administrative stay, which will give the court additional time to consider the administration's more formal request to block Ali's ruling.

Roberts asked for a response from the plaintiffs - organizations that contract with or receive grants from the US Agency for International Development and the State Department - by noon on Friday.

The order came after Trump's administration said in a court filing on Wednesday it had made final decisions terminating most US foreign aid contracts and grants, while maintaining that it cannot meet Ali's court-ordered deadline.