(CNN) The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court order that is blocking the government's efforts to make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on public assistance to obtain legal status.

The request comes after the administration in August unveiled its regulation broadening the definition of "public charge," a provision that dates back at least to the Immigration Act of 1882.

The rule affects people who receive most forms of Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. It was immediately met with pushback from advocates and several states, which argued that the changes would penalize immigrants who rely on temporary assistance from the government and impose costs on the states.

In October, a New York judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking the rule, but a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Trump administration last month, granting a stay on rulings that have blocked the measure from taking effect, in a 2-1 decision.

That decision by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, however, didn't have an immediate practical effect because the policy is still on hold due to nationwide rulings in two separate federal courts.

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