Trump attorney general's ruling expands indefinite detention for asylum seekers

FILE PHOTO: A plaque commemorating U.S. President Donald Trump hangs on the U.S.-Mexico border fence as Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico, California, U.S., April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Sandy Huffaker/File Photo

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. Attorney General on Tuesday struck down a decision that had allowed some asylum seekers to ask for bond in front of an immigration judge, in a ruling that expands indefinite detention for some migrants who must wait months or years for their cases to be heard.

The first immigration court ruling from President Donald Trump's newly appointed Attorney General William Barr is in keeping with the administration's moves to clamp down on the asylum process as tens of thousands of mostly Central Americans cross into the United States asking for refuge. U.S. immigration courts are overseen by the Justice Department and the Attorney General can rule in cases to set legal precedent.