U.S. Judge Delivers Major Blow to Trump’s Asylum Ban

(MENAFN) A U.S. federal judge dealt a significant blow to President Donald Trump's latest bid to close the asylum process, declaring that the White House had overstepped both Congressional mandates and Constitutional limits.

In a comprehensive 128-page ruling, Judge Randolph D. Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia determined that Trump's January proclamation—which labeled the surge in border crossings an "invasion" and aimed to implement "an alternative immigration system"—violated key protections embedded in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

The judge found that the proclamation’s attempt to deny humanitarian screenings for individuals entering between official ports of entry, as well as at designated crossings, was "fundamentally irreconcilable" with the statutory protections that guarantee anyone present on U.S. soil the right to apply for asylum.

Moss dismissed the administration's argument that emergency powers under Section 1182(f) of federal immigration law allowed for such a drastic move, clarifying that while the provision permits the president to restrict certain foreign nationals from entering, it does not authorize the complete elimination of asylum rights.

The ruling, which applies nationwide, will be on hold for 14 days to allow the Justice Department to appeal. If upheld, the administration will be required to immediately resume processing all asylum claims filed after the proclamation was enacted.

This decision aligns with previous legal setbacks for the Trump administration’s attempts to impose blanket asylum bans. In both 2018 and 2020, federal courts blocked similar orders that sought to disqualify individuals crossing the border without authorization from seeking asylum.

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