(RNS) The families of relatives buried in a cemetery near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport welcomed a temporary court decision that bars the immediate removal of graves to make way for a new runway.

The latest juncture in a long-running battle came Thursday (Feb. 18), when the Illinois Appellate Court granted the families a temporary stay so they could appeal an earlier court ruling that permitted the aviation department’s purchase of the St. Johannes Cemetery.

Bob Sell, a spokesman for the families, said the airport had begun disinterring a small number of the approximately 1,300 bodies in the cemetery before the latest court decision.

“We’ve got a real disruption in our church graveyard, which has been operating for 160 years,” he said in an interview.

The city’s aviation department said it would halt its expansion plans — for now.

“While we are disappointed, we will observe the court’s decision and discontinue our disinterment efforts,” said Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino. “We understand this is an emotional process for the families involved.”

The department had created “a cemetery relocation plan and family assistance program” and the city had paid $630,000 to St. John’s United Church of Christ to acquire the 5-acre property.

Sell said both parties are expected to file briefs with the court by the end of April.