The state of Michigan says a judge issued a confusing, vague order that blocks officials from suspending driver's licenses of people who can't afford traffic fines.
In a court filing Tuesday, the secretary of state asked federal Judge Linda Parker to freeze her injunction while the agency appeals.
The state says it is a "deep, unwarranted intrusion" into Michigan's police powers.
The judge last week said there's a strong likelihood that the due process rights of poor people are being violated.
A civil rights group, Equal Justice Under Law, says Michigan doesn't distinguish between people who intentionally skip paying fines and others who can't pay.
The state says it will "take months" to alter computer systems at local courts to follow the injunction.
