US District Judge Marsha Pechman of Seattle, Washington, blocked the Trump administration’s April immigration policy that would deny asylum seekers the right to have a bond hearing while their migration claims are being evaluated.
“It is the finding of this court that it is unconstitutional to deny these class members a bond hearing while they await a final determination of their asylum request,” Judge Pechman wrote in her conclusion.
The judge’s Tuesday ruling comes on the heels of US President Donald Trump postponing his mass “Illegal Immigration Removal Process,” which was supposed to be carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in several major cities around the country last weekend.
Trump now says the raids will take place beginning July 4, the same day as his “Salute to America” event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and the day the country celebrates its Independence Day.
Despite the win for asylum applicants, Trump’s administration is expected to appeal the ruling.