Briana KoenemanA new ruling says the bulk of a DOJ order that tightened the reins on granting asylum to those fleeing certain kinds of violence is unlawful.
On Wednesday, a federal judge struck down most of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision, which said fear of domestic abuse or gang violence isn't an acceptable reason to grant asylum.
The judge said the directive "was neither adequately explained nor supported by agency precedent" and that it violated existing immigration laws.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration over Sessions' decision earlier this year on behalf of a dozen people who had their asylum claims rejected under the policy.
The judge also ordered the government to bring any of the plaintiffs who were deported back to the U.S. and reassess their asylum cases.
