(CNN) — A federal appeals court on Monday ruled the Pentagon can require escorts for journalists inside the building while litigation over the Defense Department’s restrictive press policy continues.

In a 2-1 ruling, the panel found the Pentagon is likely to succeed in arguing its new escort policy is valid, pausing a lower court order that restricted the Pentagon from implementing the policy.

The decision comes weeks after senior US District Judge Paul Friedman voided parts of the Pentagon’s latest press policy, which was announced after Friedman blocked an earlier set of Pentagon restrictions that he found in March violated the First Amendment.

Under the new policy, Friedman ruled on April 9, the Pentagon “has invoked slightly different language” but was still violating the constitutional rights of national security reporters who have long been granted access to its headquarters.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Monday welcomed the court’s decision, writing on X, “The Department looks forward to presenting its full case to the D.C. Circuit on the merits.”

The New York Times filed the suit challenging the Pentagon’s press policies late last year, arguing it violates its First Amendment and due process rights.

A spokesperson for the New York Times told CNN the ruling “only grants an emergency stay pending a decision on the Pentagon’s appeal, which we will oppose vigorously.”

“The New York Times will continue to seek resolution in this case and argue for the right of journalists to freely cover the American military, so the public can understand the actions it is undertaking in their name and with their tax dollars,” the spokesperson said.

The Pentagon shut down the “Correspondents’ Corridor” inside the building shortly after the New York Times won the permanent injunction in March. The Pentagon announced that a replacement workspace would be set up at a faraway “annex” location at some point and that all press access to the Pentagon would require an “escort by authorized Department personnel.”

The legal fight began when the Defense Department first launched a press credentialing policy that challenged reporters’ ability to freely gather information, for instance, through leaks from sources inside the military.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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