The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday issued an emergency administrative injunction blocking a federal land swap that would transfer Oak Flat, an area of Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, to Resolution Copper, a joint venture of Rio Tinto and BHP. The court said the order preserves the status quo while it considers a lawsuit from the San Carlos Apache tribe and conservation groups that cite religious, cultural and environmental concerns. Written briefs are due by 14 October, delaying a transfer that had been scheduled for the following day. The halt is the latest setback for the underground mine, which developers say could create about 3,800 jobs and eventually meet more than a quarter of U.S. copper demand. Congress approved the exchange in 2014, but the project has been tied up in litigation for years. Opponents argue the mine would create a massive crater that would destroy a site where Apaches hold ceremonies. President Donald Trump condemned the ruling in a Truth Social post, calling the appellate panel a “radical left court” and branding opponents of the project “anti-American.” He said the administration will press an expedited appeal, stressing that “our country needs copper—and now.” Trump’s comments came shortly after he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met at the White House with Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm and BHP chief executive Mike Henry. The mining companies said they remain confident the courts will eventually uphold the land transfer, which is critical to advancing a project they have pursued for more than a decade.