Appeals court blocks Trump admin effort to bar asylum claims

The decision is a blow to the administration, which is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Published: April 24, 2026 2:18pm

The D.C. Appeals Court on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's effort to ban migrants at the Mexican border from claiming asylum.

The 2-1 decision from a three-judge panel found that the policy violated the Immigration and Nationality Act, The Hill reported.

“Congress enacted the asylum statute, with narrow exceptions specified by statute, to grant all foreign individuals ‘physically present’ in the United States a right to apply for asylum and have their individual applications adjudicated,” the ruling declared.

The decision is a blow to the administration, which is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. 

Since his return to the White House, Trump has worked to stop illegal immigration and to enact mass deportations, repeatedly meeting with judicial obstacles. Despite some wins at the Supreme Court, however, he has not been able to fully enact his agenda.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.

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