Under Gov. Code section 12974, DFEH can seek a preliminary injunction from a court to halt what it believes is a discriminatory act or practice pending completion of DFEH’s administrative proceedings. Here, DFEH sought, and the trial court denied, such an injunction. The DFEH continued its administrative proceedings thereafter until the defendants in that proceeding got the trial court to enjoin the administrative proceedings based on the prior order denying a preliminary injunction. This decision holds that the trial court erred in so ruling. Its prior order was not a ruling on the merits of the action after a full trial. Denial of a preliminary injunction leaves the parties in the same position as before the injunction was sought. And section 12794 does not confer any authority on the trial court to prejudge the merits of the administrative complaint and proceeding.