In addition to U-M's appeal, Friedman's March decision against the affirmative action policy set off a nationwide chain reaction.
On March 29, Reverend Jesse Jackson rallied a crowd of hundreds of U-M students to protest of the injunction.
"This is another great movement now. Affirmative action is not a minority issue-it is a majority issue," Jackson told listeners.
Thursday's decision-though still to be followed by further legal process-is a promising victory for Jackson and university officials.
In the federal order, the court also told the university that it would expedite its pending appeal of the March decision against U-M.
"We are delighted that the Sixth Circuit has acted promptly to ensure that our admissions process may continue without disruption," said U-M Law Dean Jeffrey Lehman in a U-M press release on Thursday.