The Trump administration is changing how some asylum claims are processed, allowing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer certain applications directly to immigration judges without first interviewing applicants in an effort to reduce the nation’s asylum backlog.
Streamlining the Asylum Process
The interim final rule, which takes effect immediately, gives USCIS the authority to send some asylum applications to immigration court without conducting an affirmative asylum interview, eliminating what the administration called an unnecessary step in the adjudication process.
The change applies to affirmative asylum claims, which are filed by illegal immigrants who are not in removal proceedings. Defensive asylum claims, in contrast, are raised before an immigration judge after the government has initiated removal proceedings.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that the current process has been exploited by illegal immigrants seeking to delay removal proceedings and obtain work authorization. The new rule aims to direct resources toward applicants with legitimate claims of persecution.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
