- The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a moratorium on the deportation.
- The Biden administration expressed disappointment at the ruling.
- The ban was established on August 3 to help tenants in financial difficulties.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the extension of the federal moratorium on deportation orders on Thursday, ending protections for millions of people who were unable to afford rent during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a 6 to 3 ruling, the court sided with homeowners who claimed to be victims of unjustified measures and argued that any extension must be decided by Congress, not health officials.
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The court’s unsigned majority opinion stated that the latest order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exceeded its authority to temporarily suspend deportations in areas with a surge in coronavirus cases.
The eight-page majority opinion reads: “It is up to Congress, not the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to decide whether the public interest is worthy of further action here.”
The three liberal judges of the court objected, citing concerns that the deportation might exacerbate the spread of the Delta variant.
The case was triggered by the latest two-month ban issued by the CDC on August 3.
‘Disappointed’
In a June ruling by the Supreme Court, the ban cannot last until July 31 without authorization from Congress, and the suspension order issued by the CDC in September 2020 expires.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve the extension, but U.S. lawmakers failed to approve the extension before the summer recess.
Under pressure from the Democratic Party, the CDC ordered a new suspension on the grounds of the public health risks posed by the pandemic.
The Supreme Court has now ended its suspension.
In the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the government was “disappointed” that the court prevented the suspension of the deportation order, “and the confirmed cases of the Delta variant are important across the country”.
Psaki said in a statement that the moratorium “saves lives by preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus throughout the pandemic”.
The White House originally expected that the suspension order would be challenged in court, but hoped that extra time would be allowed for the emergency rent assistance funds approved by Congress to be used for those in need.
However, although about 3.5 million people in the United States have told the Census Bureau that they will face deportation in the next two months, most of the funds are still in red tape.
Psaki said that in view of the ruling “and the continuing risk of Covid-19 spreading, President Biden once again called on all entities that can prevent deportation… urgently take action to prevent deportation.”
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