Federal Judge Says Eviction Decision Coming Soon

She said it seems like the Biden administration is engaging in gamesmanship regarding the eviction protections.

A federal judge who declared the earlier nationwide moratorium on evictions illegal was deeply skeptical Monday of the Biden administration's new order, but said she may lack the power to do anything about it. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich promised a decision soon in an effort by Alabama landlords to block the moratorium imposed last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which it said was based on the spread of COVID-19's delta variant. Friedrich suggested the administration was engaged in legal “gamesmanship” to buy time for the distribution of $45 billion in rental assistance money. But, citing a ruling by the appellate court above her, she also asked a lawyer for the landlords, “Why are my hands not tied?”