CHICAGO (AP) -- The city has offered a suburban church $630,000 for a cemetery in the path of the expansion of O'Hare International Airport, even though a federal court has temporarily blocked the city from acquiring the land.

The city says if St. John's United Church of Christ in Bensenville does not respond to the offer within 30 days, condemnation of St. Johannes Cemetery may proceed.

City officials acknowledge that the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction Dec. 2 that prevents the city from acquiring the cemetery until the court issues a ruling. Attorneys for the cemetery argued to the appeals court that moving the graves would violate the church's First Amendment right to religious freedom.

Attorney Joseph Karaganis, who represents families of people buried in the 157-year-old cemetery, said the city is trying to intimidate the families with its offer and that "one cannot put a dollar sign on religious beliefs."

"It's kind of a cruel pressure because these are elderly people," Karaganis said. "And every time Chicago does one of these things, it creates an atmosphere of fear and hostility."

Rosemarie Andolino, executive director of the O'Hare Modernization Program, said the city made the offer to keep the expansion on schedule.

"We have a program to build," Andolino said. "And what we have to constantly work against is budget and schedule, and we need to make sure we keep this program moving ahead."

In a separate case, the city has agreed not to disturb any graves until a federal appeals court in Washington rules on another lawsuit opponents have filed against the Federal Aviation Administration.

The city's offer Wednesday does not include the cost of moving about 1,200 graves. The city would pay for that separately, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said the plan to build two runways, redesign others and construct a new terminal will reduce delays by 68 percent by its scheduled completion in 2013.