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A federal judge ordered the White House on Wednesday to preserve all presidential records including text messages exchanged among its top officials, telling the Trump administration that at least for now it must follow a law it had unilaterally declared unconstitutional.

The ruling by Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocks a Justice Department memo and White House guidance in April maintaining that President Trump’s White House records were his private property and that officials did not need to comply with the Presidential Records Act, particularly on preserving text messages.

“While the presidency is a singularly important institution, that gravity does not free it from modest constraint,” wrote Judge Bates, an appointee of President George W. Bush, adding, “Congress has validly determined that this act helps to maintain that trust by shining some light on the activities of the president and his aides.”

The order, which is set to take effect on Tuesday while the legal case moves forward, amounted to a major if temporary rebuke of an administration that has shown little regard for laws meant to provide the public a window into the workings of the government and create a detailed historical record of presidential decision-making.