A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has denied a request from the Trump administration to delay deadlines in a case challenging the administration's asylum rules due to a lapse in funding from the partial government shutdown.

ADVERTISEMENT In a court filing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, argued that the Department of Justice's (DOJ) status under the partial shutdown did not prohibit the department from working on the cases due to many staffers remaining at work.

"Although the Court is mindful of the current lapse in appropriations, where there is 'some reasonable and articulable connection between the function to be performed and the safety of human life or the protection of property,' government functions may continue," he wrote.

"The Court further notes that, according to government reports, 48% of employees from the Executive Office for Immigration Review are excepted 'to process all immigration cases and appeals involving detained aliens' ... and approximately 91% of Customs and Border Protection employees and 81% of Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees will be retained during a lapse in appropriations," he added, noting administration shutdown staffing plans.