LOS ANGELES -- The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the largest immigrant rights organization in California, repudiates efforts by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to turn back the clock past Jan. 20 by suing to prevent President Biden from enacting a 100-day moratorium on deportations. The suit has resulted in an order pausing the moratorium for two weeks. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton granted a 14-day temporary restraining order while he considers a broader motion by the state for a preliminary injunction. Paxton is trying to keep the deportation machine churning, the cruelty going, and this country from welcoming immigrants. That is why we desperately need equitable immigration reform to keep recalcitrant states from ignoring the will of the people. Please attribute the following statements to Angelica Salas, CHIRLA executive director: "Ken Paxton does not seem to realize that the country turned a corner on Inauguration Day, and that the days of gratuitous cruelty against immigrants are on the way to history's dust bin, along with his many previous frivolous lawsuits. On his first day in office, President Biden introduced a bill that will put most of the 11 million who now languish without legal status on a path to inclusion and citizenship. We need this bill to pass to ensure the Paxtons of the world cannot threaten our people. "President Biden was entirely within his powers in ordering a moratorium on deportations. We will fight for it and for other executive orders that put an end to family separation and needless pain for immigrants. "We note the other parts of Biden's executive actions, including directing the Department of Homeland Security to follow enforcement priorities that protect most immigrants. They remain in effect regardless of today's ruling. We expect DHS to exercise maximum discretion to keep immigrant families together." | 
