A federal judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era public health order, known as Title 42, until the immigration policy officially lifts next month, The New York Times reported on Monday.
The policy initially began in 2020 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. It has since reduced the number of undocumented migrants entering the U.S., since it bars migrants from seeking asylum.
On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a plan to lift the order by May 23. It reported that it decided "an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary."
The states of Missouri, Louisiana, and Arizona sued the Biden administration over its plans to lift Title 42 early, saying it will create chaos at the border and significantly impact states forced to handle the newly arriving migrants. Judge Robert Summerhays, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, whose administration initially adopted the public health order, has agreed to prevent its early termination. The Biden administration said it would comply with the judge's order to leave Title 42 in place for now, reports CNN.
"We applaud the Court for approving our request for a Temporary Restraining Order to keep Title 42 in place," Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich told CNN. "The Biden administration cannot continue in flagrant disregard for existing laws and required administrative procedures."
Texas filed a separate case also seeking to block the end of Title 42. A federal judge in Texas has yet to rule on that case.