Story highlights Judge last week blocked Trump plan to end DACA

DOJ appealing to Supreme Court in unusual step

Washington (CNN) The Trump administration said Tuesday it will ask the Supreme Court to review a federal judge's ruling from last week that blocked President Donald Trump's effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal with the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals and said it will also take the "rare step" of filing a petition with the Supreme Court.

"It defies both law and commons sense for DACA -- an entirely discretionary non-enforcement policy that was implemented unilaterally by the last administration after Congress rejected similar legislative proposals ... to somehow be mandated nationwide by a single district court in San Francisco," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement.

Under normal circumstances, the Supreme Court disfavors parties from bypassing lower court proceedings and asking for direct review.

Federal District Judge William Alsup last week blocked the plan to end DACA and said the Trump administration must resume receiving DACA renewal applications.

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