A US appeals court has blocked Donald Trump's executive order suspending asylum access at the southern border, delivering a setback to the president's immigration crackdown. A three-judge panel from the District of Columbia Circuit found that immigration laws guarantee the right to apply for asylum, and the president cannot override that.
The ruling, issued on Friday, upholds a lower court decision from last year. Judge J Michelle Childs, writing for the majority, stated that the Immigration and Nationality Act does not permit the president to summarily remove migrants or curtail procedures for adjudicating claims of torture.
The executive order was issued on Trump's inauguration day in 2025, declaring the situation at the US-Mexico border an 'invasion' and suspending entry and asylum applications. The court said this exceeded presidential authority.
Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, called the decision 'essential for those fleeing danger'. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, criticised the ruling as politically motivated, saying the president was acting within his powers. The administration can appeal to the full appeals court or the Supreme Court.
