The White House will appeal a court ruling halting a Trump administration policy requiring some asylum seekers to return to Mexico and wait for their legal cases to proceed.
US District Judge, Richard Seeborg, said on Monday sending Central American asylum seekers to Mexico while their claims work through a backlogged system was not authorised by US law.
He added it didn't protect the lives and freedoms of refugees.
But the White House plans to appeal the decision.
US President Donald Trump is not changing his stance on Mexico. Source: AAP
"This action gravely undermines the president's ability to address the crisis at the border with the tools Congress has authorised and disrupts the conduct of our foreign affairs," the White House said in a statement.
"We will take all necessary action to defend the executive branch's lawful efforts to resolve the crisis at our southern border," it added.
The judge's ruling is scheduled to take effect on Friday.
The US denied entry to more than 103,000 people on its southern border last month. Source: AAP
It is not clear if the government will seek a suspension of the ruling during the appeals process.
Federal agencies on the US-Mexico border are trying to stem the rising numbers of immigrants, many of them families fleeing violence and poverty in Central America.
The US Department of Homeland Security said it arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border last month, more than double the March 2018 figure.
