WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s asylum ban at the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Trump exceeded his authority when he issued a proclamation declaring illegal immigration an emergency and setting aside existing legal processes.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said in a 128-page opinion that Trump’s January 20 proclamation blocking all migrants “engaged in the invasion across the southern border” from claiming asylum or other humanitarian protections went beyond his executive power.

The ruling is a setback for Trump, a Republican who recaptured the White House promising a vast immigration crackdown. Since Trump took office, the number of migrants caught crossing illegally has plummeted to record lows.

The American Civil Liberties Union brought the challenge to Trump’s asylum ban in February, arguing it violated U.S. laws and international treaties.

Trump’s border restrictions went beyond a similar ban put in place by former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in 2024. Key parts of the Biden ban were blocked by a separate federal judge in May in a lawsuit also led by the ACLU.

Moss said he would stay the effective date of his order for 14 days to allow the Trump administration to appeal.

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(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Chris Reese)