Appeals court blocks Trump's asylum crackdown at U.S.-Mexico border

Politics Appeals court blocks Trump's asylum crackdown at U.S.-Mexico border By Melissa Quinn, Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn, Jacob Rosen Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump's 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." Read Full Bio Jacob Rosen Updated on: April 24, 2026 / 2:24 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — A federal appeals court on Friday blocked President Trump's directive suspending access to asylum and other legal protections for migrants unlawfully crossing the southern border.A divided panel of three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that federal immigration law does not allow the president to deport migrants under new summary removal proceedings implemented by the Trump administration or to suspend their right to apply for asylum.Judge J. Michelle Childs authored the decision for the two-judge majority. She was joined by Judge Cornelia Pillard. Judge Justin Walker concurred in part but dissented from the court's conclusion on the legality of Mr. Trump's directive to effectively close the asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border."We conclude that the [Immigration and Nationality Act's] text, structure, and history make clear that in supplying power to suspend entry by Presidential proclamation, Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts," Childs, a Biden appointee, wrote for the majority. "The Proclamation and Guidance are thus unlawful to the extent that they circumvent the INA's removal procedures and cast aside federal laws affording individuals the right to apply and be...