Vice President Kamala Harris looks on as President Joe Biden signs a series of executive orders on January 26. Photo / AP
A federal judge in Texas has delivered a major blow to Joe Biden's immigration plan, blocking the new US President's 100-day pause on deportations.
The ruling comes after the state of Texas sued the federal government over the move.
US District Judge Drew Tipton today issued a 14-day nationwide restraining order blocking the policy while both parties submit briefs in the case.
"VICTORY," tweeted Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton, a close ally of former president Donald Trump.
"Texas is the FIRST state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden Admin. AND WE WON. Within six days of Biden's inauguration, Texas has HALTED his illegal deportation freeze. *This* was a seditious left-wing insurrection. And my team and I stopped it."
Judge Tipton, a Trump appointee, said in the order that Texas has a "substantial likelihood of success" on at least two claims, including that the freeze violated federal immigration law which says authorities "shall remove" illegal immigrants with final deportation orders within 90 days, Reuters reported.
The American Civil Liberties Union had in turn filed a brief asking the court to deny the request.
"The voters rejected the Trump administration's disastrous immigration policies, but Texas is now seeking to keep the Biden administration from turning the page," said Cody Wofsy, an attorney with the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project.
Russell Vought was a key architect of Project 2025.