Federal Texas judge blocks Biden’s deportation freeze

FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, Border Patrol agents stop men thought to have entered the country illegally, near McAllen, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

The Biden administration has continued to face push-back for its response to illegal immigration. On Tuesday, Texas federal Judge Drew Tipton issued an additional restraining order on Joe Biden’s 100 day freeze, which extends his previous by an additional 14 days.

The judge claimed the Lone Star State would face “irreparable harm” if the policy were to remain in place. Additionally, Tipton is requesting additional data on individuals who are set to be deported, so that he may better assess whether Biden’s moratorium is in accordance with U.S. and Texas law.

This comes as White House press secretary Jen Psaki faces intense criticism from reporters after she announced the Biden administration’s latest change to immigration reform. According to the new guidelines, immigration officials have been ordered to not deport illegal immigrants who have committed less serious offenses.

On Monday, reporters pressed Psaki to clarify the upcoming guidance, which would protect illegal immigrants convicted of DUI’s, solicitation, assault, fraud and drug-based crimes. Unsurprisingly, she circled back on the question by stating it would be up to the Department of Homeland Security to decide who should be deported based on which detainees pose the greatest threat to national security.

“Nobody is saying that DUI’s or assault are acceptable behavior and those arrested for such activity should be tried and sentenced as appropriate by local law enforcement,” she stated. “But we are talking about the prioritization of who is going to be deported from the country.”

Psaki claimed the “modernization of immigration is long overdue.” Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration is also working with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to allow asylum seekers into the U.S.