Judges panel allows Trump to continue asylum restrictions on migrants

A panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing a crucial part of its immigration policy restricting access to asylum for those who do not enter through official U.S. ports of entry to stand.

The court action reaffirms the Executive branch's ability to enforce its asylum policy while the court litigation continues, and represents a partial victory for the administration after a federal judge attempted to strike down the presidential order. The proclamation, issued by Trump shortly after taking office, states that only those who enter legally through authorized points of entry will be able to apply for asylum, a measure designed to curb illegal immigration and restore order at the southern border.

Partial reversal of a previous lower court decision

Federal Judge Randolph Moss, appointed by former President Barack Obama, had blocked the policy last month on the grounds that it violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). According to his ruling, the executive could not limit asylum only to those entering through official channels, even if they were undocumented migrants claiming to be fleeing persecution.

However, the appeals panel - composed of Judges Patricia Millett, Cornelia Pillard and Judge Gregory Katsas - lifted the administrative pause it had previously imposed, allowing the Moss decision to go into effect only partially. The panel limited its scope by restricting its application exclusively to migrants already inside the United States, leaving in place Trump's policy for those attempting to enter through irregular channels from abroad.