BREAKING: On a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Education Department to halt payment of a set of grants.

A district court issued a temporary restraining order blocking the cancelation of the grants in a lawsuit brought by eight states. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit then refused a stay pending appeal.

On Friday, the Supreme Court stayed the TRO — in effect, blocking payments.

Justice Clarence Thomas, Sam Alito and the three Trump appointees (Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett) formed the five-justice majority who issued the unsigned per curiam opinion.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote nothing but noted he would have denied the application.

Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote dissents. Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined Jackson's dissent, which does not hold back.