Judge blocks restrictions on who can apply for asylum

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Trump administration policies that prevented immigrants who suffered gang violence or domestic abuse in their home countries from seeking asylum. The judge said the administration’s policy on asylum seekers violates federal immigration law and that “it is the will of Congress — not the whims of the executive” that sets the standards for expedited removal. The White House said Wednesday’s ruling “will further overwhelm our immigration courts with meritless cases, making the existing massive backlog even worse.” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, “Today’s ruling is only the latest example of judicial activism that encourages migrants to take dangerous risks; empowers criminal organizations that spread turmoil in our hemisphere; and undermines the laws, borders, Constitution, and sovereignty of the United States. “ A U.S. judge in San Francisco Wednesday extended his decision blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a ban on asylum for any immigrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.