A federal judge in Washington blocked a decree issued by President Donald Trump in November that allows for the denial of asylum claims by people who illegally crossed the border with Mexico.

The decree is part of a series of measures taken by the government to address hundreds of thousands of Central American migrants who have recently tried to enter the United States by seeking refugee status in Mexico.

According to US media, federal judge in Washington Randolph Moss considered the measure "an excess of power" and decided that the decree contradicts US immigration laws that allow migrants who are already in the country to seek asylum even if they have not reached an official entry point.

Last year's action sparked strong protests, including by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which also criticized the limited reception capabilities of the United States at the border, causing the waiting period to be prolonged.

Trump's immigration policy has often been the source of judicial decisions. Last December, the Supreme Court (the highest judicial authority in the United States) overturned the controversial decree passed by a federal appeals court in San Francisco after the president signed it on November 9.

Trump announced last week an agreement on immigration with Guatemala, continuing his pressure to force neighboring southern states to better control the flow of migrants seeking access to US territory.

In June, the US Border Police arrested 104,000 people attempting to enter illegally.