Third country asylum rule halted again

A federal judge in California again blocked a Trump administration rule that limits the number of people who can seek asylum in the United States. The policy requires migrants who pass through other countries to seek asylum in those places first. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco already tried to stop the policy this summer, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said his ruling only applied to states in its jurisdiction, meaning Arizona and California.

Why the back-and-forth? The 9th Circuit wanted to minimize the power of judges to set nationwide immigration policy. But Tigar said the United States needs consistent rules at the border, including in Texas and New Mexico, which were not included in the existing injunction.

Dig deeper: Apprehensions of migrants at the U.S. southern border fell by more than 60 percent from May to August. View the latest numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.