A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the Trump administration from transferring any money into a secretive and loosely controlled $1.8bn fund while a legal challenge proceeds.

The order from US district judge Leonie Brinkema on Friday bars the government from “taking other further action” in the creation or operation of the fund while legal arguments in a case challenging the fund continue. The order is intended “to ensure no funds are irreversibly disbursed from the Anti-Weaponization Fund”, Brinkema wrote.

The Trump administration announced it was creating the $1.776bn fund last week in order to resolve a $10bn lawsuit filed by Donald Trump and his sons over the leak of Trump’s tax returns. The government did not take preliminary steps to try to defend itself in the lawsuit, prompting accusations of improper collusion and corruption.