Immigrant Advocates File Second Class-Action Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Asylum Port Restrictions

Immigration advocacy groups have filed a class-action lawsuit in a Southern California federal court challenging President Donald Trump's proclamation that effectively bans asylum seekers from applying at U.S. ports of entry. The lawsuit, brought by the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, the American Immigration Council, Democracy Forward, and the Center for Constitutional Rights, argues that the proclamation violates the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by unlawfully denying access to asylum for migrants who are not yet on U.S. soil. This legal challenge specifically targets the policy's impact on individuals whose asylum appointments via the CBP One app were canceled when Trump took office and seeks to restore their access to the asylum process. Advocates contend that the proclamation imposes unjust requirements, such as demanding medical and criminal histories from asylum seekers, which are inappropriate for those fleeing immediate danger. Unlike a related lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., which focuses on migrants who have already crossed into U.S. territory, this case addresses those seeking entry at official ports. The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection, named as defendants, have not issued a response to the lawsuit so far.