SAN DIEGO (AP) — A federal judge has knocked down a cornerstone border policy of the Trump administration that denies asylum to people who travel through another country to reach the Mexican border without first seeking protection in that country.
Judge Timothy Kelly says authorities violated federal rule-making procedures by not seeking public feedback before putting the policy into effect in July 2019.
A week ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the government can deport some people seeking asylum without allowing them to make their case to a federal judge. The decision applied to people who fail their initial asylum screenings, making them eligible for quick deportation, or expedited removal.
The immediate impact of the judge's ruling on Tuesday is diminished by a coronavirus pandemic-related measure to quickly expel people who cross the border illegally and block asylum-seekers at official crossings.
