More than a dozen states have come together to support a lawsuit disputing the Trump administration's so-called "turnback policy."
On Thursday, attorneys general from twenty states filed an amicus brief, led by California, in support of Al Otro Lado v. Nielsen.
The lawsuit says U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a practice of unlawfully turning away asylum seekers at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. And it accuses CBP agents of using misrepresentations, threats and intimidation, coercion and even abuse to enforce it.
The states argue that "turnback" practices violate federal laws that require officials to give asylum-seekers a fair chance to present their claims. They also say it forces those individuals to languish in dangerous and inhumane conditions at the border.
The Trump administration has filed a motion to partially dismiss the suit. But Thursday's brief urges the court to deny that motion.
