A federal judge issued an order on Feb. 20 temporarily preventing the Trump administration from removing a group of anonymous prospective asylum seekers while litigation continues in a lawsuit they joined against the president.
The brief administrative stay, issued by U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, is set to remain in effect until noon on Feb. 24.
The initial lawsuit was filed on Feb. 3 in response to Trump’s proclamation titled “Guaranteeing the States Protection Against Invasion.” It alleged that under the proclamation, the administration was defying Congress by returning asylum seekers to countries where they faced persecution or torture.
In a motion on Feb. 19, the plaintiffs described the individuals with initials such as “A.M.” and “B.R.,” stating their names had been filed under seal….