Judge allows Trump’s third-country asylum ban to proceed temporarily

A D.C.-based federal judge on Wednesday ruled that a Trump administration ban on asylum seekers who pass through another country en route to the southwest border can go forward on a temporary basis.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly denied a motion filed by immigrant legal service providers to block the policy’s implementation.

In a ruling issued from the bench, Kelly said the plaintiffs had not proved they would suffer “irreparable harm” as a result of the asylum ban. While Kelly acknowledged the policy could have “far-reaching and significant effects,“ he found that plaintiffs failed to demonstrate sufficient harms to halt the regulation.

The decision provides a short-term win for President Donald Trump, who has sought to diminish the flow of Central American migrants arriving at the border by toughening the asylum process. The administration issued a fast-track regulation last week that bars asylum for migrants who pass through other nations and do not seek refuge in those places.

However, a federal judge who heard a related case in San Francisco later in the day seemed more skeptical of the administration's move. The judge in that case retains the ability to block the policy despite the earlier ruling, according to attorneys.