On Jan. 26, a federal district court blocked the Biden administration from suspending what immigration authorities call “removals” of people not legally authorized to live in the U.S. The administration called for a 100-day pause in most deportations, citing the need to strengthen processing at the southern border while managing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The order, one of the new administration’s first actions after assuming power, was almost immediately challenged by the state of Texas. Its Republican Attorney General cited a Trump administration pledge to “work cooperatively with the State of Texas to address shared immigration enforcement concerns.”
The judge in the case, Drew B. Tipton, was appointed by President Trump last year. He has extended the block of the suspension indefinitely.