Judge blocks asylum restrictions

Ruling halts border policy as lawsuits play out

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new asylum restrictions for immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, marking the latest defeat for a president waging an all-out battle in the courts to stop the flow of migrants into the country.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco came hours after a judge in Washington decided to let the rules stand. The California ruling halts the policy across the border as lawsuits play out in court.

The new asylum rules would prevent most migrants at the southern border from seeking asylum in the U.S. if they passed through another country first. Most of the immigrants crossing the border are from Central America, making most of them ineligible for asylum because they passed through Mexico.

It also would affect asylum seekers from Africa, Asia and South America who arrive regularly at the southern border.

The restrictions went into effect last week, though there were conflicting reports on whether U.S. immigration agencies were actually enforcing it.

Top U.S. officials say their plan would discourage migrants from leaving their countries, which they say is necessary to reduce the numbers of people that border agents are detaining.

Tigar, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, has already barred less restrictive asylum policies from taking effect and could permanently block the new asylum policy.

The judge said the new policy could expose migrants to violence and abuse, deny their rights under international law and return them to countries they were fleeing.

He acknowledged that the country’s immigration system is overwhelmed by the surge in migrants from Central America over the last year.

“But shortcutting the law, or weakening the boundary between Congress and the Executive, are not the solutions to these problems,” Tigar said.

Separately, Mexican officials say they are set to open a huge shelter in the border city of Tijuana to hold thousands of migrants being returned to await hearings on their U.S. asylum requests. Mexico has accepted over 20,000 Central Americans under the plan known as “migrant protection protocol” or “Remain in Mexico,” but has struggled with how to house them.