A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s administration can continue to send asylum-seekers back to Mexico to wait for their U.S. immigration court proceedings. The policy will temporarily remain in place while immigration advocates challenge its legality in court.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit marks the second time a three-judge panel with the court has overturned the decision of a federal judge in San Francisco, who ordered the government to halt the program, known as Migration Protection Protocols. The appeals court now has a larger conservative presence due to the recent confirmation of Trump appointees.

It’s a rare victory for an administration that has been blocked by federal courts on other immigration issues, and a big upset for advocates who say the policy endangers immigrant lives.

“It’s a disappointment for sure,” said Anna Joseph, an attorney with the Institute for Women in Migration. “It will mean that a lot of people spend time in Mexico in dangerous and vulnerable situations, suffering in a variety of ways.”

The government claims its “Remain in Mexico” policy is intended to deal with the fact that a record-high number of migrants are now entering the U.S. And Kirstjen Nielsen, the former homeland security secretary who introduced the policy, said too many migrants skip their court dates and stay in the U.S., despite data that shows 89% of asylum applicants showed up to their court hearings in fiscal year 2018.

Advocates say the policy is designed to sabotage migrants’ chances of seeking asylum in the U.S., since they have less access to legal counsel and are forced to live in dangerous conditions. They told HuffPost the Trump administration has done nothing to ensure that the people it sends back to Mexico have shelter and safety. And they say border towns are completely overwhelmed by the influx of migrants, including small children, who are living in life-threatening situations.

“You have men, women and children who are returned and not given work permits or housing,” said Robyn Barnard, a staff attorney for Human Rights First. “They are just basically dropped off on the Mexican side of the border and told to come back in X weeks or months for their next hearing.”

An immigration official told NBC that at least 3,200 migrants have been sent back to Mexico to await asylum hearings since the policy was implemented in late January. Advocates told HuffPost those numbers have increased in recent weeks and that in particular, more families are being sent to border cities.