June 26 (UPI) -- The Trump administration is suing all 15 federal district court judges in Maryland over a standing order preventing the government from deporting immigrants who are challenging their removal.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday but announced Wednesday, is an unprecedented move by the Trump administration and an escalation of its attack on the judicial system and judges who rule against his immigration crackdown.
The standing order, issued last month, provides an automatic two-business-day stay of deportation for any non-citizen in immigration custody who challenges their removal with a habeas corpus petition.
In the order, U.S. District Chief Judge George Russell said the automatic stay was in response to the recent influx of petitions from non-citizens purportedly subject to "improper and imminent removal from the United States" filed after normal court hours and on weekends and holidays, creating scheduling difficulties and hurried hearings.
The Justice Department is challenging the order by accusing the district court of defying procedural and substantive requirements for issuing preliminary injunctions, while flouting congressional intent and violating Supreme Court precedent."
