Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a court-imposed midnight deadline that would have required the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, a goal that the government has claimed it is unable to meet.

With only hours until a midnight deadline, the Trump administration turned to the Supreme Court to avoid complying with a judge’s order to pay U.S. foreign aid bills.

The Trump administration will maintain its freeze on $2 billion in foreign aid after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked a lower court's order to restore the funds. The decision gives the Supreme Court time to review the administration’s appeal.