By Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The federal government has appealed a San Francisco judge's ruling that blocked the Trump administration's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico to await court hearings.

The appeal Wednesday to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not immediately ask the court to halt the lower court ruling from going into effect.

Judge Richard Seeborg had given the government until the end of the week to appeal his Monday ruling in which he granted a request by civil liberties groups to halt the practice while their lawsuit moves forward.

Seeborg says the policy violates U.S. law by failing to adequately evaluate dangers migrants face in Mexico.

President Donald Trump had criticized the ruling as unfair to the U.S. as it tries to respond to a crisis at the border.

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