Federal Judge Temporarily Stopped Administration of President Joe Biden from Lifting Title 42 Covid Border Restrictions for Migrants

A federal judge in Louisiana has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from lifting a Trump-era pandemic border ban.

The Biden administration had planned to end Title 42, the public health authority, on May 23, a decision that has been panned by both Republicans and Democrats. Because of the public health problem, border authorities can send migrants back to Mexico or their native nations.

The public health authority is in place, so Monday’s order from Judge Robert Summerhays is unlikely to change the reality on the ground, but it could throw a wrench in the administration’s plans moving ahead.

According to CNN, more than 20 states had sought the court to prevent the administration from ending Title 42 and had requested the court to intervene immediately last week.

The Justice Department, which was opposed to the request, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

“The Court discussed the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order [ECF No. 24] filed by Plaintiffs. For the reasons stated on the record, the Court announced its intent to grant the motion.

The parties will confer regarding the specific terms to be contained in the Temporary Restraining Order and attempt to reach an agreement,” Summerhays wrote Monday.

“We applaud the Court for approving our request for a Temporary Restraining Order to keep Title 42 in place,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in a statement. “The Biden administration cannot continue in flagrant disregard for existing laws and required administrative procedures.”

“In a lawsuit originally filed by Missouri, Louisiana, and Arizona, our Office just obtained a temporary restraining order to keep Title 42 in place.

This is a huge victory for border security, but the fight continues on,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt tweeted on Monday.

Texas has also filed a suit to block Title 42 from being removed. That case has yet to be decided by a federal judge in Texas.

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report