A U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C., has issued a ruling blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order that barred asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. The court determined that Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over illegal immigration constituted an abuse of executive power and violated established legal procedures.
The executive order, issued in January 2025, prohibited all migrants arriving at the southern border from applying for asylum or seeking other forms of humanitarian protection. Trump had described the influx of migrants as an “invasion of the southern border”—language U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss found to reflect an unconstitutional overreach. The court’s injunction will remain in effect for 14 days, giving the Trump administration time to file an appeal.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) brought the lawsuit in February 2025 on behalf of three immigrant rights groups and several individuals who were denied the opportunity to apply for asylum. The plaintiffs argued that Trump’s order violated both U.S. immigration law and international refugee agreements. The ACLU had previously filed a similar case in 2024 against an executive order issued by then-President Joe Biden, portions of which were also struck down by a federal judge.
In a 128-page opinion, Judge Moss wrote that neither the U.S. Constitution nor federal immigration law grants the president the authority to override congressional asylum statutes, even in the face of increased border crossings. “Nothing in the Immigration and Nationality Act or the Constitution grants the president or his designee the sweeping authority asserted in this proclamation and its directives,” the ruling stated. “Necessity alone cannot justify actions that contravene the law.” As of press time, the White House, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security had not responded to requests for comment.
The court also found that Trump’s order would effectively eliminate humanitarian screening at official ports of entry, in direct conflict with laws guaranteeing the right to seek asylum for anyone on U.S. soil. The ruling rejected the administration’s use of emergency powers under Section 1182(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, stating that while this provision allows the president to exclude certain noncitizens, it does not permit the revocation of asylum rights provided by law.
According to lead attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ruling will help protect migrants fleeing danger, as it applies to the groups included in Trump’s order as well as those who may in the future fall under a certified class in the lawsuit. Gelernt stated, “The president cannot overturn laws passed by Congress simply by claiming that asylum seekers are invaders.”
