U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a federal judge's order requiring President Donald Trump's administration to pay foreign aid funds to contractors and grant recipients.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali denied the Department of Justice's request to push the midnight deadline by which the Trump administration needs to pay more than $1.9 billion in foreign aid. The case is now in the hands of a panel of three appellate judges – each nominated to the bench by Democratic presidents – who will decide whether to issue an emergency stay of the deadline.

A federal judge has agreed to continue blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from freezing grants and loans potentially totaling trillions of dollars. U.S.