A U.S. judge on Tuesday temporarily halted an executive order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that restricts the transport of migrants through the state and authorizes state troopers to pull over vehicles suspected of doing so.
Judge Kathleen Cardone's temporary restraining order was a preliminary win for the U.S. Justice Department, which filed a lawsuit in El Paso federal court alleging Abbott's move, which he said was aimed at preventing migrants from potentially spreading COVID-19, illegally infringes upon the federal government's jurisdiction over immigration matters.
Abbott's order, which was signed on Wednesday, permits only "law enforcement officials" to provide ground transport for migrants detained for illegally crossing the southern border. It also gives the state's public safety department the authority to stop any vehicle suspected of carrying migrants and send it back to its point of origin.
The Justice Department said the order would interfere with the U.S. government's ability to transport migrants between facilities, including unaccompanied children. The government regularly employs contractors and other non-law enforcement personnel to transfer migrants.