Biden administration to appeal eviction moratorium ruling

FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies wait for a woman to collect her possessions as they carry out an eviction order, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Saturday it will appeal a judge's ruling that the nationwide eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic is unlawful.

The measure authorized by Congress and issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covers most residential evictions in an effort to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. A federal judge in Texas ruled on Thursday that Congress did not have the power to authorize the moratorium under the U.S. Constitution.