By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that Ken Cuccinelli was unlawfully appointed to lead the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency and, as a result, lacks authority to give asylum seekers less time to prepare for initial screening interviews. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington found Cuccinelli's appointment violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The 1998 law governs who is eligible to lead federal agencies in an acting capacity. The ruling issued Sunday is at odds with President Donald Trump's penchant for temporary appointments, but its impact isn't immediately clear.

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