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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 21 november 2018

U.S. judge stalls enforcement of Trump asylum restrictions

Continued from Front grant waiting at the official through other, more dif-
border crossing vowed to ficult avenues left to them
“Whatever the scope of stay in line regardless of the after the proclamation.
the President’s authority, ruling. Administration officials said
he may not rewrite the im- “I’ve always taken the cor- the asylum law changes
migration laws to impose rect path, and I’m not go- were meant to funnel mi-
a condition that Congress ing to do something illegal grants through official bor-
has expressly forbidden,” now,” said Byron Torrez, 28, der crossings for speedy rul-
said Tigar, a nominee of of Nicaragua. ings instead of having them
former President Barack Torrez said he fled Nicara- try to evade such crossings
Obama. gua after someone threw on the nearly 2,000-mile
Trump stopped family sep- acid at him during a gov- (3,200-kilometer) border.
arations at the border ear- ernment protest. He said But many border crossings
lier this year after a global he did not travel with any such as San Ysidro already
outcry, but it was a fed- of the caravans. have extensive wait times.
eral judge who ruled the “I think it is good that the People are often forced to
administration had to re- court did this because a wait in shelters or outdoor
unify the families. Another lot of people cross illegally, camps on the Mexican
judge rejected the admin- not to break the law, but side, sometimes for weeks.
istration’s request to try to because they believe you ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt
detain migrant families in have to get to the U.S. first said that some people
long-term facilities. before requesting asylum,” seeking asylum cross be-
Monday’s ruling remains in he said. tween official ports be- Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen speaks in front
effect for one month, bar- The regulations were put in cause “they’re in real dan- of the border wall separating Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego,
ring an appeal. In limiting place in part to stop what ger,” either in their coun- Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, in San Diego.
asylum, Trump used the the government says are tries of origin or in Mexico.q Associated Press
same powers he used to loopholes that allow thou-
impose a travel ban — the sands of people to avoid
third try was ultimately up- deportation.
held by the Supreme Court. DHS estimates around
A joint statement by Home- 70,000 people a year claim
land Security and the Jus- asylum after crossing ille-
tice Department said the gally. But illegal crossings
Supreme Court had al- overall are well below his-
ready shown the president torical highs from previous
had the legal right to re- decades.
strict asylum. “Individuals are entitled
“Our asylum system is bro- to asylum if they cross be-
ken, and it is being abused tween ports of entry,” said
by tens of thousands of Baher Azmy, a lawyer for
meritless claims every the Center for Constitu-
year,” the departments tional Rights, which sued
said. “We look forward to the government alongside
continuing to defend the the American Civil Liber-
Executive Branch’s legiti- ties Union. “It couldn’t be
mate and well-reasoned clearer.”
exercise of its authority to Around 3,000 people from
address the crisis at our the first of the caravans
southern border.” have arrived in Tijuana,
Homeland Security Secre- Mexico, across the bor-
tary Kirstjen Nielsen, speak- der from San Diego, Cali-
ing at a San Diego news fornia. U.S. Customs and
conference, called the Border Protection said
ruling “dangerous” and Monday that it closed off
expressed confidence it northbound traffic for sev-
would be overturned on eral hours at the San Ysidro
appeal. crossing to install movable,
Trump on Tuesday criticized wire-topped barriers after
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court reports that some migrants
of Appeals, which would were planning to rush
likely receive any appeal through the lanes — but
of Tigar’s order and has none did.
already ruled against the As of Monday, DHS said it
administration in several had referred 107 people to
immigration cases. Trump U.S. Citizenship and Immi-
called the circuit a “dis- gration Services — people
grace” and its judges “very who had sought asylum
unfair.” between official crossings
Whether asylum seekers since Trump’s order went
would try now to enter be- into effect. Officials didn’t
tween official ports of entry say whether those people’s
was unclear. One immi- cases were still progressing