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On Tuesday, a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s 100-day pause on deportations. Federal Judge Drew Tipton granted a temporary restraining order in response to a lawsuit by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which in part cited an agreement between Texas and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that required the agency to consult the state before instituting policy changes.
Judge Tipton explicitly stated his order applies nationwide and effectively directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume deportations for at least 14 days as he considers a broader motion for a preliminary injunction. He wrote, “The issues implicated by that agreement are of such gravity and constitutional import that they require further development of the record and briefing prior to addressing the merits.”
Last week, Biden halted all deportations to “review and reset enforcement priorities” after the Trump administration instituted a “zero tolerance” policy for undocumented migrants. The order included exceptions for migrants who have engaged in or were suspected of terrorism or espionage or considered a threat to national security as well as allowing the ICE administrator to intervene in individual deportation cases.
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