President Donald Trump's administration on Monday told the U.S. Supreme Court that it continues to seek a halt of a judge's order requiring it to fully fund food aid for 42 million low-income Americans this month even as lawmakers take steps toward ending the federal government shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She had previously issued a temporary restraining order against the job cuts that was set to expire Wednesday.