Federal Court Blocks Trump's Asylum Ban
@ericmontes101
On Nov. 20, a federal judge in San Francisco has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from denying asylum to migrants who crossed at the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S District Judge Jon S. Tigar issued a nationwide restraining order barring enforcement of Trump’s policy, which he billed as a crucial attempt to halt the flow of thousands of asylum-seeking families across the border.
"Whatever the scope of the president's authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden … Asylum seekers will be put at increased risk of violence and other harms at the border, and many will be deprived of meritorious asylum claims." Tigar said.
The White House said in a statement that the decision of a single district judge “will open the floodgates, inviting countless illegal aliens to pour into our country on the American taxpayer’s dime …This temporary injunction is yet another example of activist judges imposing their open borders policy preferences, which are rejected by the overwhelming majority of the American people, and interfering with the executive branch’s authority to administer the immigration system in a manner that ensures the Nation’s safety, security, and the rule of law. ”
The Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department said in a joint statement that decision "is absurd that a set of advocacy groups can be found to have standing to sue to stop the entire federal government from acting so that illegal aliens can receive a government benefit to which they are not entitled,"
The ruling will remain effect until Dec. 19. It may go to the Supreme Court when they uphold the Trump administration’s travel ban.
Leading to the midterm election, Trump made the caravan a central focus, tweeting about them and announcing deployment of soldiers to the border.
On Nov. 25, the U.S. authorities fired tear gas on migrants protesting near the Mexican border after attempting to cross the wiring fence. Authorities had to shut down the border.
Around Sunday morning, a group of migrants protested the U.S. asylum process, they marched at the entry of San Ysidro between San Diego and Tijuana. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspended all vehicles and pedestrians from passing through the entry. The American military helicopter hovered over them as the Mexican federal police officers blocked the entry.
The Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that they used tear gas and pepper spray after several migrants threw rocks at border agents, striking them. Adding there were no injuries reported.
Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, said in a statement that the port of entry was closed “to ensure public safety in response to large numbers of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. illegally.”
“DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for security and public safety reasons,” she said.
The Mexican Interior Ministry said that hundreds tried to cross the border in a “violent manner” and that they would deport anyone who crossed illegally.
Around 6 p.m., the CBP reopened the San Ysidro entry.