A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted an executive order issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to prohibit private individuals and groups from transporting immigrants who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in a two-page order blocked the order from being implemented by state officials until at least Aug. 13, when she is set to hold a court hearing on the matter. “The Executive Order causes irreparable injury to the United States and to individuals the United States is charged with protecting, jeopardizing the health and safety of non-citizens in federal custody, risking the safety of federal law enforcement personnel and their families, and exacerbating the spread of COVID-19,” Cardone, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. Abbott’s executive order, which is aimed at restricting the ground transportation of illegal aliens detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who may pose a risk of transmitting COVID-19, cites …