The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday torched a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that temporarily blocked President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's policy outlawing asylum claims for some immigrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

In a statement obtained by Reuters, the Trump administration called the ruling from Judge Jon Tigar "absurd" and added that the Trump administration would continue to crack down on what it calls "benefits" for "illegal aliens."

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“We look forward to continuing to defend the Executive Branch’s legitimate and well-reasoned exercise of its authority to address the crisis at our southern border,” the Justice Department told Reuters.

Civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) should not have the ability “to stop the entire federal government from acting so that illegal aliens can receive a government benefit to which they are not entitled," the DOJ added in its statement.

The reaction comes following a late Monday ruling from Tigar that temporarily blocked a joint policy from the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security that restricted which refugees could apply for asylum upon crossing the border at a location other than a legal port of entry.

Tigar wrote in his decision that the Trump administration would cause irreparable injury to several refugee organizations with the rule.

“Asylum seekers will be put at increased risk of violence and other harms at the border, and many will be deprived of meritorious asylum claims,” he wrote. “The government offers nothing in support of the new rule that outweighs the need to avoid these harms.”

ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, who argued against the policy, said in a statement that the ban on asylum claims for migrants who cross the border illegally would put lives in danger.

“This ban is illegal, will put people’s lives in danger, and raises the alarm about President Trump’s disregard for separation of powers," Gelernt said. “There is no justifiable reason to flatly deny people the right to apply for asylum, and we cannot send them back to danger based on the manner of their entry.”