Updated Jul 1, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Federal judge rules against Trump asylum restrictions

US President Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa, California on September 18, 2019.

President Trump visits the southern border fence in Otay Mesa, California, lastSeptember. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled against the Trump administration's third-country asylum rule late Tuesday.

Why it matters: Per Neal Katayal, a lawyer involved in the legal challenge, the District Court decision "invalidates" the transit ban.

"The decision by Judge Kelly, who President Trump appointed to the bench in 2017, goes into effect immediately."
— Katayal's tweet
  • The decision comes on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling last Thursday that the Trump administration violated federal law when it ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The big picture: The third-country rule prevented immigrants from claiming asylum in the U.S. if they did not apply via a third country they passed through first on their way to the southern border. 

  • Axios has contacted the Trump administration for comment.

Read the decision via DocumentCloud:

Go deeper: Trump administration proposes toughest asylum rules yet

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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