New York Attorney General Letitia James has vowed to fight alongside the new Joe Biden administration in stopping deportations to the Caribbean and other places.
Last week, a U.S. federal judge in Texas issued a temporary restraining order, in effect for two weeks, that blocked President Biden’s plan to pause the deportation of undocumented Caribbean and other immigrants for 100 days.
“As we continue to reel from a public health crisis that has affected every corner of this country, the last thing we should be doing is moving to deport more immigrants—many who are standing on the frontlines of the pandemic and delivering essential services to Americans nationwide,” James told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“These immigrants are delivering our packages, stocking our grocery shelves, providing us with health care, and so much more,” she added.
“I strongly support President Biden’s willingness to freeze these deportations as the administration reviews its policies, and I will continue to review the court order as I stand ready to take legal action,” the New York AG affirmed. “I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our immigrant community.”
On the first day of the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memo ordering a moratorium on the deportation of undocumented immigrants for 100 days, while a thorough review of the DHS’s polices took place, but two days later, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration, seeking to overturn the order.
Paxon’s complaint partially cited an agreement signed between DHS and Texas in the closing days of Trump’s presidency requiring DHS to consult Texas prior to changing or modifying the policies.
However, Judge Drew Tipton of the Southern District of Texas said the temporary restraining order (TRO) was justified under the Administrative Procedure Act.
Biden has pledged to repeal much of Trump’s immigration policies in his first 100 days in office, including a moratorium on deportations.
CMC
