BREAKING: Texas went to the U.S. Supreme Court in the redistricting case on Friday evening, seeking a stay pending appeal and administrative stay of the three-judge district court ruling blocking the use of the 2025 map and ordering the use of the 2021 map.

Justice Sam Alito granted Texas an administrative stay of the decision below, while at the same time ordering a response due by 5 p.m. Monday.

The application will be Docket No. 25A608.

The state also asked the Supreme Court to treat this as a request for merits review.

In this type of case, the court “notes probable jurisdiction” similar to how the court grants certiorari in what are now the usual merits appeals at the Supreme Court. (This is just what it’s called because of the way the court takes up this type of case; it’s not a distinction that most even need to know.)

This filing was expected, but this is very quick. It came just hours after the three-judge district court, on a 2-1 vote on Friday morning, denied Texas's stay request.