Washington (CNN) The Justice Department formally asked the Supreme Court Thursday night to review a federal judge's ruling from last week that blocked the Trump administration's effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued in a court filing that the lower court ruling was "unprecedented." The administration asked the court to resolve the dispute this term, but did not ask justices to immediately halt the lower court order.

The move from the Trump administration comes as DACA is central to the debate over a possible government shutdown. Congressional Democrats are seeking to force action on a permanent solution for DACA and its 700,000 participants and possibly blocking a spending bill that would keep the government open past Friday night.

Earlier this week the administration warned that it planned to take the unusual step of asking for direct review from the Supreme Court, attempting to skip over the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Under normal circumstances, the Supreme Court disfavors parties from bypassing lower court proceedings and asking for direct review, but the Trump administration says the step is necessary.

"The district court has entered a nationwide injunction that requires (the Department of Homeland Security) to keep in place a policy of non-enforcement that no one contends is required by federal law and that DHS has determined is, in fact, unlawful and should be discontinued," Francisco wrote.

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