SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An appeals court blocked President Trump's executive order suspending asylum applications at the southern border in a 2-to-1 ruling on Friday.
The order, called "Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion," was signed on the first day of Trump’s second term.
The ruling brings renewed hope to those seeking asylum in San Ysidro, potentially allowing the process to resume.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision.
Before the ruling, immigration advocates said the ban discouraged some from crossing and left others to take risky routes.
"In fact, we've seen that many people are now being forced to … cross through extremely dangerous and treacherous areas," said Pedro Rios, an immigration advocate and director of the American Friends Service Committee.
Immigration attorneys noted the change in how migrants were being processed under the order.
"They've been instead taken into custody and are waiting for either interviews or going through the court process that way," said Saman Nasseri, an immigration and employment law attorney. "So now, they'll be able to seek asylum directly at the border once again.”
While the resumption of the asylum process is welcomed by advocates, there are concerns about the legal system's capacity.
"So now there's a potential that we're gonna start seeing that again, which hopefully, if there is some sort of control over it and it doesn't overflow the courts," Nasseri said.
Some advocates remain doubtful that the administration will uphold the court's ruling.
"The general sense from people on the ground is that they are under attack, that people who are vulnerable … should be fearing the steps that the government has been taking against them," Rios said. “A lot of people still disbelieve that the Trump administration will follow the law and follow this decision."
