A federal judge on Monday granted a reprieve to ICE, allowing it to revive its new deportation limits for the next week while the Biden administration asks appeals courts to step in and overturn the judge’s ruling from last week.
In that ruling, Judge Drew Tipton said the Biden team cut too many corners and flouted immigration law when it tried to limit the types of illegal immigrants who could be targeted for arrest and deportation.
Judge Tipton ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to go back to where things stood before the Biden administration, where officers had more of a free hand.
The Justice Department has appealed, and pleaded with the judge to stay enforcement of his ruling while that appeal is pending. The judge said Monday he would give the government a week to win relief from a higher court.
The case is a major test for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who is trying to erase most of the Trump legacy at his department. Though Mr. Mayorkas has successfully ended a number of Trump initiatives, courts have stepped in and blocked some big ones, including his attempt to revoke the “Remain in Mexico” border policy and his attempt to impose limits on ICE arrests and removals.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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