Texas Judge Extends Order Blocking Biden Deportation Freeze

(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge in Texas extended a nationwide ruling preventing the Biden administration from halting deportation of undocumented immigrants.

In a 105-page order issued late Tuesday, Judge Drew Tipton granted a preliminary injunction blocking an executive order that halted all deportations for the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency. The judge found that the executive order did not exhibit “reasoned decisionmaking,” and that the state “has a substantial likelihood of success” in challenging the order.

Texas filed the first major lawsuit against the Biden administration last month. The state argued that a deal it struck in the last days of the Trump administration requires the federal government to consult with the governor before making changes to immigration enforcement.

The deportation freeze was part of an effort to roll back the Trump administration’s four-year crackdown on undocumented immigrants and work toward nationwide immigration reform.

The case is State of Texas v. U.S., 21-cv-00003, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Victoria).

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