Page 2 - aruba-today-20190413

A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 13 april 2019

Court won’t immediately stop wait-in-Mexico asylum policy

By JULIE WATSON and BRI- effect in the end. The order
AN MELLEY marked another defeat to
Associated Press President Donald Trump’s
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A fed- intent to radically alter U.S.
eral appeals court put a immigration policies. Fami-
judge’s order on hold Fri- lies seeking asylum typi-
day shortly before it would cally have been released
have stopped the Trump in the U.S. with notices to
administration from forc- appear in court. The new
ing asylum seekers to wait policy started in January at
in Mexico while their cases the nation’s busiest border
move through U.S. courts. crossing in San Diego and
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court the government was start-
of Appeals temporarily ing to expand it.
blocked the lower court rul- At a Wednesday hearing
ing from taking effect. The in El Paso, Texas, Nicolas
three-judge panel set a Palazzo, an attorney for Las
Tuesday deadline for civil Americas Immigrant Advo-
liberties groups to submit ar- cacy Center, told a judge
guments on why the asylum that his Salvadoran client
policy should be on hold feared returning to Mexi-
and a Wednesday dead- co. The man was allowed
line for the government to to remain in the United
argue why it should remain A girl from the Mexican state of Guerrero passes rows of tents as her family waits at a shelter States, signaling a change
in place. Judge Richard of mostly Mexican and Central American migrants to begin the process of applying for asylum in the practice. The Mexi-
Seeborg in San Francisco Friday, April 12, 2019, in Tijuana, Mexico. can government says more
ruled Monday to halt the Associated Press than 1,300 people were re-
unprecedented change during a humanitarian cri- seekers at risk by forcing their hearings in the United turned to Mexico under the
to the U.S. asylum system sis at the southern border. them to wait in violence- States, lawyers said. program.
while the groups’ lawsuit It wants the 9th Circuit to plagued Mexico and said “I haven’t heard of anyone A lawsuit by 11 Central
moves forward. He said the keep the policy in place Seeborg’s ruling was al- who’s been sent back since Americans and legal ad-
policy violates U.S. law by while the lawsuit is litigated, ready having an effect. the judge’s order on Mon- vocacy groups argues that
failing to evaluate dangers which is expected to take Since the judge issued his day,” American Civil Lib- the policy puts the lives of
migrants face in Mexico. months and possibly years. order, immigration officials erties Union attorney Judy asylum seekers at risk by
The government called the Immigration attorneys ar- stopped returning asylum Rabinovitz said. She added forcing them to stay in Mex-
ruling erroneous and said gued that the policy was seekers south of the bor- later that she was hopeful ico, where crime and drug
it endangers the public putting the lives of asylum der after they attended Seeborg’s ruling will go into violence are prevalent.q