The Trump administration, following a major defeat in a federal appellate court in Washington, is weighing whether to take a challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court to block benefits for thousands of “blue water” Navy veterans who claim they were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Blue water Navy veterans, who served within the 12-mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam, last month secured a long-sought victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The full court, ruling 9-2, said the Agent Orange Act of 1991 covers thousands of veterans who served on ships within the 12-mile territorial seas of South Vietnam.