The Justice Department also filed a request for a temporary restraining or lifting Abbott's order in lieu of further court action.The case was assigned by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, a nominee of President George W. Bush.Abbott's Wednesday order states that immigrants cannot be transported by ground only by law enforcement officers. However, Garland stated that the federal government heavily relies on contractors, grantees and other non-governmental organizations to move immigrant children, including those in the custody of Department of Health and Human Services."The executive order can thus be expected to cause confrontations among [Texas Department of Public Safety] officers and federal personnel, contractors and partners moving noncitizens. This is an important immigration function. In a court filing, a Justice Department lawyer stated that the Court should issue a temporary injunction or a restraining order to stop irreparable damage to the United States.Republican Abbott issued Friday night a statement blaming Biden's administration for the dispute. Federal officials were accused of not fulfilling their responsibility to ensure that immigrants don’t spread communicable disease like the coronavirus."The Biden Administration created a constitutional crisis between Texas and the federal government. Abbott stated that the Biden Administration has refused to enforce immigration laws and allowed illegal immigrants with COVID-19 into the country. "Until President Biden's Administration does their job to enforce our nation's laws and protect Americans, Texas will continue to stand up for our communities and uphold our rule of law.Title 42 is the federal law that gives federal authorities broad power to stop immigrants from entering the country for public health reasons. This Title 42 federal law is at the center of the legal battle.Trump's administration took advantage of the legislation to block nearly all attempts by asylum seekers to seek protection at the U.S.-Mexico border. Although President Joe Biden promised more liberal immigration policies when he was elected, he has mostly kept Title 42 restrictions in place. However, his aides stress that they have allowed limited humanitarian exceptions.Biden officials released a policy in February exempting unaccompanied minors of the Title 42 limitations. In June, Texas filed a lawsuit to stop the exemption from children.U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, Fort Worth-based, ruled that Texas' request was null due to a revised policy issued by the Biden administration earlier this month. Pittman, a Trump appointee, said that lawyers for Texas can amend their lawsuit to address this new order and request another exemption.
