Unprecedented & Dangerous Ruling by Federal Judge

Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez • August 20, 2021

Immigration Lawyers Say Trump-Appointed Judge in Texas Just Decided He’s in Control of ICE and ‘Emperor of U.S. Immigration Policy’ in ‘Unprecedented and Outrageous’ Ruling

Michelle Saenz Statement

MSN Reports:


U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton, appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2020, authored the order enjoining two immigration memos issued on Jan. 20 and Feb. 18 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE directors, respectively.


Collectively, those two memos generally established a return to the enforcement priorities of the Obama administration–instructing government agents to arrest and detain immigrants considered public safety and/or national security threats. Specifically, ICE agents were directed to focus on three tiers of deportation priorities:


(1) undocumented immigrants who are deemed to be or who are suspected of being a national security threat;

(2) undocumented immigrants who entered or attempted to enter the country “on or aft

er November 1, 2020;” and

(3) undocumented immigrants convicted of certain felony and gang-related offenses.


With the issuance of his sprawling, 160-page opinion and order, however, Tipton wiped away all of ICE’s enforcement priorities.


To view the original published content click here.


"This unprecedented and dangerous ruling by a Federal Judge who has been on the bench for less than a year flies in the face of any concept of separation of powers. In essence, Judge Tipton appointed himself the "Immigration Czar" of ICE and limited their ability to make any independent decisions as an agency. "

- Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez,

Immigration Lawyer

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