Federal judge blocks Biden administration’s asylum policy

Oakland, Calif.-based federal judge Jon Tigar on Tuesday struck down an asylum policy that has been in effect since mid-May. The policy has disqualified most migrants from receiving asylum if they entered the United States without passing through a designated port of entry. Migrants who had not previously sought legal protection in another country were also ineligible for asylum under the policy. Tigar referred to the policy as “substantively and procedurally invalid” while giving the Biden administration 14 days to appeal the ruling. Tigar previously ruled against a similar policy of the Trump administration.

How will this affect migrants? Tigar’s ruling will allow more migrants to apply for asylum, even if they pass into the United States illegally. Border patrol in June encountered more than 144,000 migrants at the Southwest border—what it said was the lowest number since February 2021.

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and Mary Reichard's report on a bipartisan act to improve United States immigration policy.