The ruling is a setback for President Donald Trump, a Republican who recaptured the White House promising a vast immigration crackdown.

A federal judge blocked a Trump administration policy barring migrants who cross the US-Mexico border from seeking asylum, issuing a major blow to President Donald Trump, who has sought to seal off access to protections on the border.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., Wednesday ruled that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority and violated federal law by shutting down the U.S.- Mexico border to asylum seekers in a January proclamation.