x
Breaking News
More () »

Judge reinstates nationwide halt on Trump asylum policy plan

The judge blocked the policy in July, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals limited the impact to California and Arizona.
Credit: AP
In this June 12, 2019, photo, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official assists people waiting to enter the building that houses ICE and the immigration court in Atlanta. U.S. authorities are fast-tracking families' cases through immigration courts in a bid to discourage many from making the journey to seek refuge in the United States. (AP Photo/Andrea Smith)

OAKLAND, Calif. — (AP) — A U.S. judge in California on Monday reinstated a nationwide halt on the Trump administration's plan to prevent most migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar ruled in Oakland that an injunction blocking the administration's policy from taking effect should apply nationwide.

Tigar blocked the policy in July after a lawsuit by groups that help asylum seekers. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals limited the impact of Tigar's injunction to states within the area overseen by the appeals court.

That meant the policy was blocked in the border states of California and Arizona but not in New Mexico or Texas.

In his ruling, Tigar stressed a "need to maintain uniform immigration policy" and found that nonprofit organizations such as Al Otro Lado don't know where asylum seekers who enter the U.S. will end up living and making their case to remain in the country.

"The court recognized there is grave danger facing asylum-seekers along the entire stretch of the southern border," Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.

A message was left seeking comment with the Department of Justice.

The new rules by the Trump administration apply to migrants who pass through another country before reaching the U.S.

RELATED: Separated migrant children are traumatized, government watchdog reports

RELATED: Oregon mother may be deported while son fights for his life

The policy targets tens of thousands of Central Americans who cross Mexico every month to try to enter the U.S. and also would affect asylum-seekers from Africa, Asia and South America who arrive regularly at the southern border.

Before You Leave, Check This Out