Category World News

The federal government has agreed to review a legal challenge to “metering,” a controversial tactic used to deport asylum seekers who cross its borders but are not allowed to cross.

The justices reviewed a lower court’s decision on Monday that found “metering” to be an unlawful impediment to the asylum process by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, California, had previously decided the case, Al Otro Lado v. Noem. According to that court, “metering” violated US law that grants non-citizens the right to seek asylum in the country.

The phrase “Metering” refers to the practice of refusing asylum seekers who enter the country through “at capacity” border officials.

Without any safeguards or a setbacks, asylum seekers who were denied entry were frequently stranded on the Mexican side of the southern border.

In a two-to-one majority of the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling in 2024, the court concluded that this action constituted a “withholding” of asylum rights rather than merely a delay.

The argument over “metering”

The migration advocacy group Al Otro Lado, which assisted in the case, announced in a news release on Monday that it would “look forward to presenting [its] case] to the Supreme Court, which has a six-to-three conservative majority.”

The advocacy group claimed in a statement that the Ninth Circuit had made a valid conclusion that our immigration laws require the government to inspect and process people seeking asylum at ports of entry and allow them to file legal claims there.

According to the government, “the turnback policy was an illegal scheme to circumvent these requirements by physically preventing asylum seekers from crossing the border to seek protection.”

Al Otro Lado claimed that the “metering” policy placed asylum seekers in risky conditions along the Mexican border where they could face extortion from corrupt officials and criminal networks.

It stated that “violent families, children, and adults fleeing persecution were stranded in perilous conditions where they faced violent assault, kidnapping, and death.

Individuals who are fleeing persecution can seek asylum within its borders under US law. People who are at risk of being attacked for their race, religion, nationality, political views, or social affiliations are among the protected groups.

Successive governments have long encouraged asylum seekers to show up at authorized ports of entry rather than through irrational channels to file their claims.

Advocates point out that “metering” appears to convey the opposite message: that failing to show up at a port of entry could mean you’ll be denied for an indefinite period of time.

However, the Trump administration has argued that “metering” is a necessary tool to stop abuse in the asylum system in general and has attempted to restrict asylum applications.

According to the Trump administration’s attorneys, “metering” does not violate asylum laws because it applies to applicants who have simply crossed the border without crossing it.

The US Department of Justice used a reference from World War II to claim that “Allied forces did not arrive in Normandy while they were still crossing the English Channel.”

In American football, it compared crossing the border to scoring a touchdown. When a running back is stopped at the one-yard line, he doesn’t “arrive in” the end zone, according to the Justice Department.

US law restricting asylum

The practice of “metering” started in 2016 when border security officials began detaining asylum seekers. The federal government cited capacity issues as a result of a growing influx of immigrants, and the practice became official in 2018.

The first lawsuit was filed in 2017. Among the organizations representing 13 immigrants in the case were organizations like the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the American Immigration Council.

After a federal court upheld the practice, “Metering” was ultimately stopped under President Joe Biden in 2021. However, additional restrictions on the asylum process have been put in place, and legal proceedings over the tactic have since continued.

In response to a larger debate over its asylum policies, the Trump administration defends “metering.”

Trump signed an executive order effectively outlawing asylum applications at the southern US border on January 20. This was the first day of his second term.

A different legal challenge has been brought against that asylum ban. The ban was overturned by US District Judge Randolph Moss in July, arguing that it essentially establishes an “alternative immigration system” distinct from the protections that have been established.

That decision has also been challenged by the Trump administration.

In response to the widespread persecution that occurred during the Holocaust and World War II, the asylum system was largely established as a result of recent government attempts to restrain asylum seekers as part of a wider immigration crackdown.

For instance, Trump campaigned for a second term using a strategy that aimed to significantly reduce immigration to the US.

Since then, his administration has petitioned other nations to support its efforts to reform the asylum and refugee system. A Trump official organized a panel on the topic of “Global Refugee Asylum System: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It” on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

The Trump administration then set the lowest refugee admissions cap in US history, a month later in October.

In the fiscal year 2026, only 7,500 refugees would be permitted to enter the US, according to a federal filing. According to the statement, “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination” would receive priority.

Six members of the proscribed UK direct action group, Palestine Action, go on trial on Monday for allegedly damaging weapons at the UK base of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in August 2024.

The detainees, who are just some of a total of 24 activists linked to the group who have been arrested at different times, have been in custody for more than a year without trial, breaking the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit.

Their prosecution, which has drawn international scrutiny, has become a test case for how the British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is dealing with pro-Palestine demonstrations, with many UK residents and rights groups accusing authorities of heavy-handedness.

Thousands of people have demonstrated in support of the detained group, collectively known across the UK as the “Filton24”, named after the location of the targeted Elbit Systems offices in Filton, Bristol.

Hundreds of people have been arrested in recent weeks for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine Action, which was banned under “anti-terror” laws in July.

At least 500 people, aged between 18 and 89, were detained at protests in London on October 4. Authorities said they had been arrested for “supporting a proscribed organisation”.

Here’s what we know about the court case starting this week:

What is happening and in which court?

Six Palestine Action members are being tried at Woolwich Crown Court in London. This is the first trial since the initial group of Filton24 members were arrested in August 2024, with others being arrested during subsequent police raids. All face charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder.

This week’s case focuses on the six defendants who were caught on the premises of Elbit Systems on August 6, 2024.

According to the Free the Filton 24 group, formed by family and friends, they are: Zoe Rogers, Fatema Zainab (Ray) Rajwani, Jordan Devlin, Samuel Corner, and Charlotte “Lottie” Head. One other person has been identified by activist groups on social media only as “Ellie”. Most of the Filton24 appear to be UK citizens, but this has not been confirmed.

Other members of Palestine Action may be tried later in relation to the Elbit Systems incident.

They include: Ian Sanders, Madeleine Norman, William Plastow, Leona Kamio, Hannah Davidson, Teuta “T”  Hoxha, ​​Zahra Farooque, Yulia Brigadirova, Qesser Zuhrah, Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, Amu Gib and Aleksandra Herbich.

Sean Middleborough, 32, who told local media he had been arrested in a violent raid on his home last November, was the only one to be granted temporary bail to attend his brother’s wedding in October. He reportedly failed to return to prison in early November as scheduled, and the police are now searching for him, according to Sky News.

The names of the remaining five arrested members of Palestine Action are unknown.

What is Palestine Action?

Founded in July 2020 by activists Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, Palestine Action describes itself as “a pro-Palestinian organisation which disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action”. The group has accused the UK government of complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza and says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.

The group’s members have targeted Israel-linked companies across the UK, spraying their facilities with trademark red paint. Members have also blocked entrances to buildings, chained themselves to infrastructure and damaged equipment.

In the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, the group’s demonstrations intensified. In October that year, its members targeted the BBC’s headquarters in London with red paint, in protest against the broadcaster’s perceived pro-Israel bias.

Its members also blocked the facilities of weapons manufacturers Lockheed Martin, a US aerospace and defence group in London, and Leonardo, a defence and security group.

What happened in Filton?

On August 6, 2024, Palestine Action’s members broke into the premises of the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol, and reportedly destroyed quadcopter drones, which the group says are used by the Israeli military in Gaza to target Palestinians.

The action was estimated to have caused more than 1 million pounds ($1.3m) in damage, according to local news outlets. Six activists were arrested at the scene – the same who are on trial on Monday.

Four others were arrested in connection with the Filton event in nationwide raids days after. Then, in November 2024, more raids saw the number of those arrested and held climb to 18. Later, in June 2025, a final raid led to six more people being arrested.

The detainees are being held in different prisons, including New Hall – for female and young offenders – located in West Yorkshire, and Pentonville in London. While they were initially held on charges of “terrorism”, those charges were later dropped, and all are now facing non-terror-related charges. According to the Free the Filton 24 group, formed by family and friends of the activists, nearly all the activists have been denied bail despite several applications.

At least six members began a hunger strike this month in protest against what they say is “systematic abuse” in the prisons, including wardens referring to them as “terrorists”, confiscating their clothing – including their Palestinian kefiyehs – and restricting their visits and letters. They include Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Jon Cink, Kamran Ahmed, Teuta “T” Hoxha and Qesser Zurah.

The group has vowed to refuse food until Elbit is shut down and prison authorities stop the alleged abuse.

What else has Palestine Action done?

In June 2025, the group announced that some of its members had cut through the outer fences of Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, the largest station of the British Air Force, and sprayed red paint on the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft.

The planes are used for air-to-air refuelling and have allegedly been used to refuel Israeli military fighter jets. The two activists involved used electric scooters to enter the compound and were able to escape unhindered.

Five people were later arrested and charged on July 3, 2025, in relation to the Brize Norton action: Muhammad Umer Khalid, Amy Gardiner-Gibson, Jony Cink, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie and Lewie Chiaramello. All are being charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

Analysts at the time said the breach, while not posing a direct military threat, was embarrassing for the UK’s Ministry of Defence, as aircraft used by the king and prime minister are normally stationed there.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, calling it “disgraceful”. The spraying reportedly cost the UK between 7 million and 30 million pounds ($9.2-$39m) in damage, according to police officials and various UK broadcasters, although the government told news site Declassified UK that it has not estimated a precise figure.

Before it intensified its demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the Palestine Action group’s members were also noted for:

• A series of break-ins at Elbit’s Ferranti site in Oldham, near Manchester in northern England, between 2020 and 2022.
• Occupying the Leicester drone factory operated by UAV Tactical Systems, a subsidiary of Elbit, in May 2021, with activists chaining themselves to the roof for nearly a week.
• Chaining themselves to an Elbit site in Braunstone, Leicestershire, in April 2022, and breaking into the Thales UK factory in Glasgow in June 2022, causing more than 1 million pounds ($1.37m) in damage with smoke bombs and property destruction.
• Following the launch of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Palestine Action intensified its efforts. It targeted the BBC’s headquarters in London with red paint to protest against the broadcaster’s perceived pro-Israel bias and blockaded facilities of arms manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace and defence group, which has a base in London, and Leonardo, the defence and security group.
• In November 2023, the group’s US branch occupied the roof of an Elbit facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Three activists were arrested but were later released on misdemeanour charges.

Why did the UK government proscribe them as a ‘terrorist’ organisation?

In July, following the Brize Norton incident, the UK parliament voted overwhelmingly to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group, making it a criminal offence to join or support the group, subject to a jail sentence of 14 years. That puts the group in the same category as armed groups, such as al-Qaeda.

The UK government said it proscribed Palestine Action for national security reasons. By doing so, “the government is demonstrating its zero tolerance approach to terrorism, regardless of its form or underlying ideology”, a statement read, adding that the group had orchestrated “aggressive and intimidatory attacks” against businesses, institutions, and the public in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.

“National security is the government’s first priority, and it will not shy away from this responsibility,” the government’s statement read, adding that the right to “legitimate” protests will be protected.

What are the arguments against this?

The move has drawn widespread condemnation from pro-Palestine campaigners in the UK and rights groups. Hundreds of people marching in support of the group’s detained members, and condemning the proscription, have been arrested, according to the UK authorities.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned days after the ban that the move represented a “misuse” of the country’s terrorism laws, as it was being applied to conduct that is not “terrorist” in nature – Palestine Action is not an armed group and its members have not killed or seriously injured anyone, nor have they threatened to do so.

Amnesty International described the government’s move as “disturbing” and called on the UK to instead focus on taking action against Israel.

“Instead of taking draconian measures to [proscribe Palestine Action], the Government should be taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it,” Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said.

Palestine Action, meanwhile, argues that its actions are a form of civil resistance aimed at disabling weapons production.

BREAKING: The government LOST their appeal and failed to stop the legal challenge of the Palestine Action ban.

That means the Judicial Review will go ahead on November 25-27th.

Not only that, but we won TWO MORE grounds to argue the illegality of the ban.

Huge victory.

In October, cofounder Huda Ammori was granted permission by a UK court to challenge the proscription on the grounds that it constitutes a disproportionate interference with free speech rights, after the UK government tried to block her appeal. The case is due to be heard between November 25 and 27.

Which other groups are proscribed as ‘terrorists’ in the UK and what for?

• Ideological armed groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS are proscribed by the UK. Al-Qaeda has been linked to major attacks in the UK, such as the London bombings of 2005, in which 56 people were killed and more than 700 were injured. These groups are also proscribed by many other governments.
• On the same day the UK proscribed Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group, the Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC) and the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) were also classified in the same category. Both groups are described as white supremacist groups, with MMC believed to have neo-Nazi leanings, and reportedly encouraging members to film themselves being violent to others.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, more than 288,000 families are facing a shelter crisis as a result of Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Palestinians are suffering in conditions that “no society can endure,” according to a statement released on Monday from the local authorities. Tens of thousands of tents have been submerged in the past few days due to heavy rain.

Palestinians have been subject to “the most dangerous humanitarian disaster” since the start of the conflict, according to the government media office, which Israel has “deliberately contributed to adâncening the catastrophe” through its obstruct to essential shelter supplies.

The Israeli occupation continues to commit crimes against civilians, it said.

“We hold the occupation completely responsible for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are without safe shelter or basic services in the harsh winters, and for its catastrophic crime of requiring the occupation to completely close the crossings and preventing the entry of shelter supplies.”

The first winter storm to hit Gaza on Thursday caused the flooding to start. More than 13, 000 homes were immediately affected, according to the United Nations.

As the rain continued over the following days, conditions continued to worsen, overtaking the worn-out tents that have been a shelter for displaced families for almost two years.

Lower elevations than the surrounding areas are where many displacement camps are located. Hani Mahmoud of Al Jazeera reported on Monday that “some areas are completely submerged” as a result of the water’s rush into them from all directions.

The enclave requires 300, 000 tents and mobile homes to provide basic shelter, according to Gaza authorities, who have “clearly stated” for months.

Despite a ceasefire that ended on October 10, Israel has obstructed their entry.

UN figures show that during the war, more than 80% of Gaza’s buildings suffered damage or destruction, leading to significant displacement.

According to experts in the field of human rights, Israel’s strategy amounts to genocide. According to the UN, “deliberately inflicting on]a] group conditions of life intended to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part” are among the acts that fall under the category of “genocide.”

The government media office criticized Israel on Monday for “remaining its policy of restrainting and preventing the entry of tents, tarps, and plastic covers,” keeping border crossings closed, and “rejecting the humanitarian protocol” it signed as part of the ceasefire.

The Israeli military organization COGAT, which coordinates aid deliveries to Gaza, has repeatedly refuted claims that it is restricting humanitarian supplies.

However, UNRWA’s head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, described the situation as “misery on top of misery” last week and warned that Gaza’s fragile shelters “quickly flood, soaking people’s belongings.”

UNRWA reported that it has enough food in Jordan and Egypt to fill 6, 000 trucks, including food, to last three months’ entire population in Gaza. Due to Israeli restrictions, only 500 to 600 of the daily entry requirements for aid trucks are made in the territory.

According to Israeli authorities’ import restrictions, UNRWA has also stated that it cannot import pens and notebooks into the territory.

Around 260, 000 Palestinian families, or nearly 1.5 million people, were exposed to vulnerability as the winter approached, according to a warning issued by aid organizations in early November.

By imposing restrictions, UNRWA senior UNRWA official Natalie Boucly claimed that Israel is still violating international humanitarian law. cited blatantly the Fourth Geneva Convention and a recent decision by the International Court of Justice that Israel was required to provide for Palestinians with “essential supplies of daily life.”

During a visit to Jordanian aid warehouses this month, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed that Israel has “no excuse” for halting humanitarian supplies.

Aid restrictions are entirely political, according to the statement.

The University of Manchester professor Mukesh Kapila claimed that the restrictions are made with intention rather than by reason of necessity.

He told Al Jazeera, “This is entirely a political act because Gaza is one of the easiest areas to reach,” citing the humanitarian crisis in which it is occurring.

“Human suffering in Gaza is compounded by Israeli actions to keep up pressure on Hamas on the hostages and possibly to end it,” says the statement.

In a statement released by the government media office, the US president called on the mediator nations to “take serious and immediate action to force the occupation to abide by what it signed” in terms of the truce and humanitarian protocol.

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Every morning for Israa Abu Reyala and her husband, Mohammad, is a battle to find decent food for their five daughters, the youngest three of whom are triplets born during the war.

The ceasefire agreement, which took effect about a month ago, has made little difference in the family’s daily life, Israa, 31, and Mohammad, 33, told Al Jazeera.

“The war was a nightmare,” Israa says as she feeds her little ones in her parents’ home in Deir el-Balah. “But the hardest part by far has been finding food, milk, and supplies for my three babies.”

Israa learned she was pregnant with triplets two months before the war.

“We were planning for a third child, not three at once,” she laughs, exchanging a look with her husband.

Their concerns at the time – about income, rent, and how to manage three infants – feel like paradise now compared to what they lived through during the pregnancy and birth, they say.

‘I’m worried’

Israa says her triplets, who are now 19 months old, don’t even know what an egg looks – much less tastes – like. They’ve eaten chicken a few times, but only when sharing meals with extended family.

The couple had high hopes for the ceasefire that ostensibly ended Israel’s war on Gaza and stipulated that Israel would allow food and aid supplies to enter the beleaguered enclave.

But instead of more and higher-quality food entering Gaza, they found little of nutritional value.

Mohammad says the markets are “stuffed with commercial goods” like biscuits, chocolate, candy, snacks, nuts, and canned foods, with few fruits and vegetables that enter at prices many can’t afford.

“But what about the quality? What about proper food? And the prices are insane,” he adds.

“Where are the eggs? Where is meat and poultry? Fresh dairy and cheese? Everything healthy, nutritious, or essential for children doesn’t exist, and if it does, it’s in tiny quantities and disappears instantly,” Israa says.

Humanitarian officials call the state Israel has imposed on Gaza since it launched its genocidal war on it in October 2023, engineered starvation – a policy aimed at weakening the population physically and psychologically until society collapses from within.

Dr Khalil al-Degran, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that Israel has not adhered to humanitarian protocols requiring the entry of food and medical aid into Gaza, with quantities entering now “only 15 to 20 percent of actual needs”.

He adds that the products Israel allows in are nonessentials, like chips and instant noodles, which lack vital nutrients.

Markets remain empty of meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and most protein and fat sources, he says, calling it “clear engineered starvation”.

Israa says her girls are getting more to eat now, but she still worries because of the severe lack of nutritious food.

“I’m worried about my health, too,” she says. “I did lab tests last month and the specialist told me I’m in the early stages of malnutrition.”

A premature birth

Ten-year-old Toleen says she will never forget the tanks and Israeli soldiers she had to walk past with her parents, hands up in the air, holding white flags.

She and her six-year-old sister, Jana, had fled with their parents from one displacement shelter to another for weeks before they fled south on foot through what Israel called “the safe corridor”.

They tried to stay in the north, leaving their home in Shati refugee camp for a UNRWA school in al-Nasr – but Israeli tanks kept advancing, and the family had to keep fleeing.

So one day in November 2023, they headed south to Israa’s parents’ home in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, where she spent the rest of her pregnancy and delivery, struggling with malnutrition and the fear of Israeli bombs.

They stayed there until a ceasefire in January this year, when they went back to Gaza City, only to be caught by a famine caused by Israel’s blocking of the entry of all aid supplies.

On March 28, 2024, two weeks before her scheduled caesarean section, she was woken up at night by labour pains, but the war was raging, with intense Israeli bombardment in nearby Nuseirat.

Moving at night was dangerous, and they had to call the ambulance service repeatedly, telling them they were expecting triplets, before Israa was taken to al-Awda Hospital for an emergency c-section.

Her daughters, Keraz, Kifah, and Jumana were born, one weighing two kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) and two weighing in at 1.9 kilogrammes (4.2 pounds), well within the average for healthy triplets.

“Giving birth to healthy babies in a war felt like a miracle,” she says.

Dr al-Degran says most pregnant and breastfeeding women face acute anaemia caused by a lack of food and supplements, with many giving birth prematurely or miscarrying.

Once home, the struggle to find baby formula, diapers, and clothes for the newborns began.

The triplets needed about one can of formula per day, which their severely malnourished mother had to supplement by breastfeeding them. Her health collapsed.

“My body was exhausted and hungry,” Israa says.

“These three … I cried as they cried from hunger,” she says, looking at her triplets playing nearby.

“‘Nanna, nanna, nanna,’ that’s the sound they made asking for food, day and night. I can still hear it.”

Israa and her husband spiralled.

“I used to escape into the street from my babies’ screams, walking aimlessly, crying for hours,” she says.

Damage that may be irreversible

Al-Degran says Gaza has suffered chronic malnutrition throughout Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave.

He warns that even if essential foods were allowed in today, the damage done to children, especially infants, has already left long-term physical and cognitive consequences.

Israa’s daily struggle continues, as she divides a single bite of food into three portions for her three infants.

“This piece for one, this for the second, and this for the third … just so they quiet down a little. But then they start crying again. They don’t understand. They’re just hungry.”

Israa and Mohammad remain grateful for what little they have, though Israa cannot hide her heartbreak over Toleen and Jana, who she says have endured hunger and still tried to help her care for the babies.

The family’s only wish now is simple: “To see a semblance of a normal life again,” Israa says.

“Open crossings. Food. Supplies. Aid.

After a mudslide ripped through a home in Brazzano di Cormons overnight, firefighters are searching for two missing people in northeastern Italy. Unknown are a 35-year-old German man who lives nearby and a woman who is still unaccounted for. There has already been a rescue for one person.