The Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals in New York declared on Thursday that they would not put an immediate stop to the spying on phone calls and the collection of phone data by the National Security Agency. The Court stated that they did not to want to upset the current plan that Congress had put into place concerning the NSA’s domestic  spying.

Congress, according to Reuters, has given the NSA six months to make what they call an “orderly transition” to another method of surveillance. The court found the NSA’s current methods and tactics illegal back on May 7. The court’s opinion in the matter was voiced by Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch. Lynch stated that “an abrupt end to the program would be contrary to the public interest in effective surveillance of terrorist threats…”

Lynch went on to say that the six month transition period that Congress gave the NSA  was reasonable and that the court should just leave it alone and let the NSA be bound by Congress’ edict. The NSA has been collecting data on phone calls made by American’s for a long time. The domestic spying by the NSA was first brought to light in 2013 by NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The United States government considers Snowden a traitor and will prosecute him if he ever comes out from hiding. Snowden, last anyone heard, was being given asylum by the Russians.

Congress had declared the program had to be of a much narrower focus. The American Civil Liberties Union had taken the matter before the Appeals Court demanding that the NSA cease and desist immediately. The court, of course, rejected their argument. While the ACLU disagreed with the court’s decision, they did say that they were pleased that the random collection of phone data from Americans will soon stop.

The ACLU continued to state that the courts needed to be on top of this and to ensure Americans that all of the illegally collected data is destroyed. It also said that Congress needs to securely put an end to the unbridled spying methods and tactics of the NSA.