HOUSTON — A federal judge has barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations.
Tipton’s order is an early blow to the Biden administration, which has proposed far-reaching changes sought by immigration advocates, including a plan to legalize an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
The 100-day pause in deportations was a key Biden campaign promise.
Biden sought to shield most immigrants facing deportation from being removed from the country as long as they entered the U.S. before November 1, 2020. It would not apply to those who are a national security risk or are suspected of espionage.