Federal judge in Texas blocks Biden’s efforts to limit immigration arrests

In his 160-page ruling, Tipton called the new priorities “suffocating” and said immigration arrests have declined sharply this year. Many lesser criminals who might have been taken into immigration custody under the Trump administration are now being released into U.S. communities, the judge wrote, and many reoffend. He said the new priorities also likely violate federal law calling for the arrest of unauthorized immigrants, especially those who commit crimes.

“Although this case involves many issues of administrative and immigration law, its core concerns whether the Executive Branch may implement a policy that directly conflicts with laws that Congress enacted,” Tipton wrote of the memos issued in January and February outlining the Biden administration’s new priorities. “The answer is no.”