Court Declares Metering Policy Illegal, Orders Remedies

A federal appeals court has ruled that the 'metering' policy, which limited the number of migrants allowed to apply for asylum at U.S. ports of entry, is illegal. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found this policy, which was put in place in 2016 under President Obama and expanded during the Trump administration, violated federal immigration law by preventing asylum-seekers from applying even if they had reached the border. The court's decision mandates that past asylum denials under this policy be unwound. Migrant advocacy groups, such as Al Otro Lado, have celebrated the ruling, emphasizing the dangers migrants faced while waiting in Mexican border towns. The Biden administration had rescinded the policy in 2021, but this ruling further solidifies its illegality. This decision marks a significant victory for immigrant rights advocates who have long argued that the policy denied migrants their lawful rights to seek asylum.