Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to reinstate President Joe Biden’s policy that shifts the focus of U.S. immigration enforcement to threats to public safety, handing a victory to Texas and Louisiana as they challenge a plan they call illegal. The justices voted 5-4 to reject the Biden administration’s request to block a federal judge’s ruling that prevented immigration officials from implementing enforcement guidelines while litigation continues over the legality of the policy. But the court said in a brief order that it would expedite the Biden administration’s appeal and hear oral arguments in December. Biden’s policy diverges from the hard-line approach of the Democratic president’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to expand the range of immigrants subject to arrest and removal. Biden took office last year promising a more humane approach to immigration. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register In announcing the new guidelines last September, the Biden administration noted that U.S. officials have long relied on setting enforcement priorities because of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally. The policy would give agents more discretion to look at individual circumstances and prioritize threats to national security or public safety. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal border crossings. Texas and Louisiana sued in federal court in Texas over Biden’s policy, arguing that under federal law officials lack discretion and are required to detain immigrants who commit a wide range of crimes or who have been ordered removed. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton agreed on June 10, suspending the policy nationwide. Tipton was appointed by Trump. read more On July 6, the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block Tipton’s decision pending an appeal. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Andrew Chung and Lawrence Hurley. Edited by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
