ISTANBUL

US border agents have been instructed to stop deporting migrants under President Donald Trump’s controversial asylum restrictions, following a federal court decision that blocked key elements of the policy, according to a report by CBS News.

Citing two Department of Homeland Security officials, the report said Monday that the internal directive was issued over the weekend after a federal appeals court lifted a stay on a lower court’s ruling.

That ruling found Trump’s sweeping asylum ban violated existing US laws, which require the government to consider claims for protection from migrants who fear persecution or torture if returned to their home countries.

While the appellate court upheld the president’s power to restrict access to the asylum system in some instances, it reaffirmed that the US cannot ignore legal obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Torture or US statutes that protect individuals from removal to countries where they could face harm.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were then ordered to process migrants in accordance with standard immigration procedures, which include evaluating claims for asylum or other humanitarian protections, according to the report.

Officials will now rely more heavily on expedited removal — a fast-track deportation process that still allows migrants to request asylum if they demonstrate a credible fear of persecution.

In a statement to CBS News, CBP said the court ruling confirmed “the President’s authority to deny asylum to aliens participating in an invasion into the United States.” The agency emphasized that those crossing the border illegally will still face “consequences for their criminal actions,” including prosecution and removal “to the fullest extent of the law.”