Housing activists gathering in Massachusetts in October. Michael Dwyer/AP Photo DOJ attorneys on Saturday said they'd appeal a judgment striking down the US eviction moratorium. The moratorium "helps to slow the spread of COVID-19," said Brian M. Boynton, DOJ attorney. A Trump-appointed judge on Thursday said the federal moratorium was unlawful. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. The Justice Department on Saturday said it would appeal a judge's ruling that struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal eviction moratorium.On Thursday, US District Judge John Barker of the Eastern District of Texas said the creation of such a moratorium "criminalizes the use of state legal proceedings to vindicate property rights." In a 21-page summary judgment, Barker, a Trump appointee, said the moratorium was unconstitutional.