WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to immediately halt a judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in federal grants and loans that remain frozen even after a court blocked a sweeping pause on federal funding.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to comply with his order to unfreeze federal grants, after attorneys general for several Democratic states claimed the directive

The initial White House order on Monday to freeze federal grants sparked confusion throughout Washington and nationwide.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives.

The Justice Department on Monday appealed a federal judge’s order to unfreeze federal grants, hours after the judge ruled that the Trump administration had not complied with his directive.

The order comes after Vice President JD Vance posted on social media that “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday lost the latest round in a court battle over his administration's bid to freeze federal spending after an appeals court declined to pause a court order requiring the government to continue delivering funds.

The Trump administration is reigniting a legal fight over whether it can unilaterally freeze billions of dollars in funding in loans, grants and financial assistance.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a new motion ordering the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds, after already doing so in January.