LOS ANGELES — A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration can continue to enforce a policy that returns asylum seekers to Mexico while they wait for an immigration court to decide their cases.

The ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit allows the government to continue enforcing the policy, formally called the Migration Protection Protocols, while the legal issues of the case are being decided. It was an unusual victory for the Trump administration in the liberal-leaning court, though the judges did not rule on the merits of the case.

The Trump administration unveiled the “Remain in Mexico” program in December for migrants entering the country in San Diego and has since expanded it to El Paso.

It is intended to crack down on asylum claims, which have soared as Central American migrants have crossed the United States’ southwestern border in ever-larger numbers over the past year.