Without the stay, the deal could have been closed on Monday. The White House sought to play down the significance of the order, with one official saying it was merely "an administrative extension" designed to give more time to the court to determine the merits of the request. The deal with Fiat is backed by governments in the United States and Canada, where tens of thousands of jobs are at stake. Obama previously said the deal had "a strong chance of success" and added that Chrysler would emerge "stronger and more competitive." Chrysler has slashed 32,000 jobs since 2007 and industry experts fear there could be tens of thousands more layoffs during the bankruptcy as the historic US automaker shuts down nearly a quarter of its dealers.