Trump Administration Lets USCIS Skip Some Asylum Interviews to Cut 2-Step Reviews
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 27
Trump Administration Lets USCIS Skip Some Asylum Interviews to Cut 2-Step Reviews
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 27
Summary
An interim final rule effective immediately lets USCIS send some affirmative asylum cases straight to immigration judges instead of first conducting an asylum interview.
DHS said the current process can review the same application twice—once at USCIS and again in immigration court—adding to a growing asylum backlog.
The change applies only to affirmative claims filed by migrants not already in removal proceedings; defensive asylum claims will still be handled before immigration judges.
Administration officials said the rule will free asylum officers and judges to focus on stronger persecution claims and curb use of asylum filings to delay removal or gain work authorization.
The move extends Trump’s broader asylum crackdown and comes as the Supreme Court handed the administration two immigration wins, including on asylum-processing limits and TPS for Haitian and Syrian migrants.