A federal judge has ruled that an executive order by President Donald Trump suspending asylum access at the southern border is unlawful. Wednesday's decision could throw into doubt one of the key pillars of the president's plans to crack down on immigration at the southern border. But the judge gave the Trump administration two weeks to appeal. In an executive order Jan. 20, Trump declared that the situation at the southern border was an invasion, and he was "suspending the physical entry" of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it is over.

Asylum-seekers from around the world face new challenges at the U.S. border. President Donald Trump suspended the asylum system just after his inauguration as part of his wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigration. Lawyers, activists and immigrants say the process is now unclear, with many people deported after fleeting conversations with immigration officials while others languish in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Attorneys who work frequently with asylum-seekers at the border say their phones have gone quiet since Trump took office. Legal battles are ongoing, with rights groups challenging the restrictions.

President Joe Biden says he's restricting asylum to help "gain control" of the U.S.-Mexico border. The American Civil Liberties Union says it'll sue over Biden's plan to enact immediate significant restrictions on migrants seeking asylum at the border. Biden signed the proclamation Tuesday as the White House tries to neutralize immigration as a political liability before November's elections. Biden's order would bar migrants from being granted asylum when U.S. officials deem the southern border to be overwhelmed. The Democratic president has contemplated unilateral action for months, especially after Republican lawmakers rejected a bipartisan security deal at the behest of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump says Biden has surrendered the southern border.