US gets more time to lift passport of ex-CIA agent

A judge has given the Carter administration until Monday to take further legal steps to revoke the passport of former Central Intelligence Agency agent Phillip Agee. US District court Judge Gerhard GEsell delayed the enforcement of a ruling he made Monday barring the State Department from taking away Mr. Agee's passport. In that ruling Judge Gessell said Secretary of State Cyrus Vance overstepped his authority in December by applying a little-used 1968 regulation of cancel the passport.

The Justice Department then asked the judge to delay enforcing the ruling until it could bring the case before the US Court of Appeals. The judge set Monday as the deadline for doing so.

Mr. Agee lives in Hamburg and could become subject to deportation if his passport is revoked.