WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge on Friday extended a court order blocking the Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposed 1.8-billion-U.S.-dollar "anti-weaponization" fund.

Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the order after a hearing. The previous temporary block, imposed on May 28, had been due to expire Friday.

The DOJ announced the fund last month, saying it would compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted or harmed by actions of the federal government.

The proposal quickly drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Critics argued that the fund could be used to provide payments to people charged in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The attack took place on Jan. 6, 2021, and some of those individuals were later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Facing criticism, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this month that the department was no longer moving forward with the plan. However, the administration has not publicly provided a clear final decision on the fund's future.

The lawsuit was brought by individuals and organizations who say they were politically targeted by the Trump administration. They asked the court to stop what they described as the unlawful creation and operation of the fund.