The US administration has made a fundamental change to the asylum application process, launching a new regulation that allows files to be referred to court without an interview. Announced on July 27, the temporary rule gives USCIS officers the authority to send a case directly to an immigration court judge without conducting an interview with the applicant.
Edlow: 'The system was being abused'
When explaining the new rule, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said, "For too long, the asylum system has been abused to prolong the process and obtain work permits rather than to protect those who genuinely need protection." Edlow stated that this step would redirect resources to applications that need timely review and prevent the system from being used as a loophole.
444,000 applications to be affected
The US Department of Homeland Security announced that the rule, which takes effect immediately, is expected to affect 444,724 files out of a backlog of approximately 1.4 million asylum applications. The department noted that this change will allow "foreign nationals who pose a threat to public or national security to be identified more quickly and routed into deportation proceedings."
Human rights organizations react
Robin Barnard, vice president for refugee and migrant rights at Human Rights First, said the new rule leaves applicants defenseless. Barnard stated, "They are eliminating the right to a fair trial just to cut down the backlog. Their aim is not to give people a chance to be heard in court but to deny applications en masse and deport people en masse."
Experts say that along with practices such as pressure for rapid denials in immigration courts and the transfer of applicants to third countries, the new rule severely reduces the chance of receiving asylum. Allowing USCIS to skip the interview means files flow directly to immigration courts, which operate under the Justice Department and face pressure to speed up deportation orders.
Temporary Protected Status had also been narrowed
This step is seen as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation policies. Previously, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which covered hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, Venezuela, and other countries, had also been terminated. Many immigrants who lost their status had filed asylum applications.
