Local reports said the U.S. Donald Trump administration is pushing a plan to swiftly reject asylum applications.
According to internal federal government documents reported by CBS and others on the 1st (local time), the Trump administration is drawing up a plan to allow some asylum applications to be denied without applicant interviews.
The crux is to allow employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to dismiss applications without a separate interview if it is determined that the applicant filed for asylum more than one year after entering the United States.
If this is implemented, USCIS can refer those whose applications are denied to removal proceedings in immigration court under the Department of Justice. At that point, the applicant must litigate in court to maintain legal status to stay in the United States.
U.S. immigration law requires filing for asylum within one year of entry. However, exceptions are recognized for those with serious health problems, those who received improper legal advice, and unaccompanied minors, among others.
Current U.S. law allows undocumented entrants to apply for asylum, but to be granted asylum, they must prove a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
This aligns with the Trump administration's policy stance to strictly limit the asylum system. Government statistics show that as of last fall, there were 1.5 million pending asylum applications. When such backlogs repeat, even immigrants who are not immediately eligible for asylum can remain in the United States under the pretext that "the asylum application is being processed."
A USCIS Spokesperson said the Trump administration is "reviewing various measures" to resolve a backlog of more than 1 million asylum applications caused by "the Biden administration's dangerous open-border policies."