Federal Judge Blocks Trump Asylum Ban at U.S.-Mexico Border

A federal judge, Randolph D. Moss, ruled that President Donald Trump's asylum ban at the U.S.-Mexico border exceeded his authority and violated both U.S. immigration law and the Constitution. The judge's 128-page opinion stated that neither the Immigration and Nationality Act nor the Constitution grants the president the power to bypass established asylum procedures, even in the face of significant border challenges. The ruling blocked Trump's January 20 proclamation that barred migrants crossing the southern border from claiming asylum, which was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of advocacy groups and affected migrants. While the decision delays Trump's immigration crackdown, border crossings have dropped to historically low levels under his administration. Trump criticized the ruling and labeled judges opposing his policies as 'radical left' trying to open the border, while White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller condemned the decision as judicial overreach. The ruling allows the Trump administration 14 days to appeal and applies to all migrants subject to or potentially affected by the asylum ban.