The Obama Administration asked a federal appeals court to block Alabama’s controversial immigration law on Friday.  In the court filing, the Justice Dept. said that by enacting the law it is “highly likely to expose persons lawfully in the United States, including school children, to new difficulties in routine dealings.”

The administration also said the law could “have dire diplomatic consequences abroad, invites discrimination and merely forces illegal immigrants into neighboring states.”

A federal judge previously upheld provisions in the Alabama law including the ability for authorities to question people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally as well as allowing officials to check the immigration status of students in public schools.  These provisions will remain in place while the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals considers the administration’s motion.

The law has already affected students in the school system as thousands of students stayed home from school on Monday.