Trump Administration Sends 444,000 Asylum Cases to Courts as Rule Bypasses USCIS Interviews
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 27
Trump Administration Sends 444,000 Asylum Cases to Courts as Rule Bypasses USCIS Interviews
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 27
Summary
Up to 444,000 asylum cases could be routed straight to immigration courts under an interim final rule taking effect Tuesday, exposing many applicants to removal proceedings instead of USCIS interviews.
USCIS says the change will help cut a 1.4 million-case asylum backlog by ending what it calls a duplicative step that gave some applicants a "second chance" at asylum.
Immigrant advocates and former officials say the move shifts cases from one clogged system to another—immigration courts already face a 3 million-case backlog—and increases detention and deportation risks.
Fewer than 3% of asylum cases decided in January were approved, and critics say sending more claims to courts, where immigrants are not guaranteed lawyers, could further depress approval rates.
The rule follows other Trump immigration crackdowns, including ending temporary protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and others, reinforcing a broader push to narrow legal pathways.