NORTH CAROLINA – A federal judge says she will issue an injunction to block the state’s implementation of Voter ID laws ahead of the 2020 primaries and election.

Arguments against the requirement say it is tainted by bias that would deter black and Latino residents.

Next week U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs says she will formally block the photo ID requirement scheduled to begin in 2020. 

Voter ID was actually carried out in North Carolina's 2016 primary elections as the result of a 2013 law. But a federal appeals court struck down several portions of the law in July 2016, saying photo ID and other voting restrictions were approved with intentional racial discrimination in mind.

The NC NAACP says it got the message late Thursday.

The NAACP is expected to hold a press conference on the impending ruling Friday afternoon.

In response to news of the judge’s decision the NCGOP released the following statement: “Unfortunately, this preliminary injunction is yet another example of judges legislating from the bench. This action, if it is allowed to stand, will invalidate the votes of millions of North Carolinians who voted overwhelmingly to implement voter ID and strengthen the integrity of N.C. elections. The NCGOP calls on the Attorney General to appeal this decision and defend the voters of North Carolina.”

The actual reasons for Biggs issuing the injunction — and whether the legislature could pass a law altering the rules to resolve her concerns — won't be known until the formal order is released.

The department declined to comment Friday about a possible appeal as it awaits Biggs' full order, said Laura Brewer, a spokeswoman for Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.

Two other lawsuits challenging the voter ID mandate or the constitutional amendment are pending in state courts.