Featured Issue: Asylum Under Trump 2.0
On the first day of his second term, President Trump suspended all entries at the U.S. Southern Border for asylum seekers. Since then, the Administration has implemented sweeping restrictions that shut America’s doors to people fleeing persecution. These policies violate federal law, erode constitutionally protected due process, exacerbate the asylum backlog, and give those seeking safety an increasingly narrow path to protection.
Left unchecked by Congress, these policies will have dire consequences for both asylum seekers and the integrity of our legal system. Asylum seekers—especially those without access to counsel—are at grave risk of being returned to harm.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Administration can maintain order at U.S. borders and effectively manage migration without sacrificing fairness and adherence to the law. With more trained asylum officers, a streamlined legal process, legal representation for asylum seekers, and more effective coordination between relevant agencies, the U.S. can establish a safe, orderly, and humane asylum system.
Browse the Featured Issue: Asylum Under Trump 2.0 collection
Practice Alert: Two Copies of I-589 Applications No Longer Required
On 8/7/15, the USCIS Asylum Division announced that USCIS would instruct officers to accept the original I-589 application with one rather than two additional I-589 copies. USCIS notified service centers and is in the process of amending the I-589 form instructions to show this change.
CA4 Finds IJs Are Not Required to Warn of Consequences of Filing a Frivolous Asylum Application
The court held that the warning set forth in the I-589 asylum application regarding the consequences of filing a frivolous asylum application satisfies INA §208(d)(4)(A)’s requirement that the applicant must be notified of such consequences. (Ndibu v. Lynch, 5/19/16)
Mothers and Children Detained in Violation of Court Order Plead for Freedom
Pleading for an end to their imprisonment, 69 mothers who have been detained with their children at the South Texas Family Residential Center, an immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas, wrote a public letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CA9 Issues Superseding Opinion in Yang v. Lynch
In a superseding opinion, the court made several amendments to its original decision, clarifying that, on a motion to reopen, the BIA cannot make the kind of credibility determination inherent in a decision to apply the falsus maxim. (Yang v. Lynch, 5/19/16)
Outrage
“Apurar, cielos, pretendo, Por qué me tratáis así, qué delito cometí contra vosotros naciendo. Aunque si nací, ya entiendo qué delito he cometido; bastante causa ha tenido vuestra justicia y rigor, Pues el delito mayor del hombre es haber nacido.“ ~ by Pedro Calderón de la Barca Outrage is the
CA9 Upholds CAT Denial to Former Gang Member Who Had Been Removed to El Salvador
The court upheld BIA’s denial of CAT protection, holding that substantial evidence supported its determination that it is not more likely than not that the petitioner, a former gang member with gang-related tattoos, will be tortured in El Salvador. (Del Cid Marroquin v. Lynch, 5/18/16)
Letter to ICE from 69 Mothers Detained in Dilley Pleading for Freedom
Pleading for an end to their imprisonment, 69 mothers who have been detained with their children at the South Texas Family Residential Center, an immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas, wrote a public letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement; letter is available in Spanish and English.
USCIS Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual (May 2016)
USCIS Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual (AAPM) from the Asylum Division, updated and revised as of May 2016, provides instruction for asylum office personnel on how to process affirmative asylum applications.
CARA: Government Continues to Undermine Access to Counsel and Due Process for Children and Mothers Seeking Protection in the U.S.
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project shared additional evidence that the federal government and private prison companies are failing to provide child care adequate to ensure access to counsel and meaningful representation as a Texas agency considers licensing the Dilley center.
Recognize these Mothers’ Sacrifices on Mother’s Day
From Day One of the Obama Administration's efforts to expand family detention, children have been the hardest hit. In Artesia, Berks, Dilley, and Karnes, these vulnerable asylum seekers are the ones who suffer the most when fleeing danger and coming to the U.S. seeking lawful protection for their sa
Anything I Can Do, You Can Do Better… in Dilley!
Sunday is Mother's Day in the U.S. and having just met some of the most incredible mothers I have ever encountered, I wanted to share that experience. In Dilley, TX, I met countless mothers who risked their lives to come to the U.S. for their children. Not for economic reasons, not for “a better li
USCIS Provides Revised Guidance for Processing TRIG Refugee Cases and Amendment to the Hold Policy
USCIS released a policy memorandum revising the agency hold policy for association or activity involving terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds (TRIG). Guidance is effective immediately.
CA7 Remands Withholding of Removal and CAT Claim of Former Salvadoran Gang Member
The court granted the petition for review, holding that the IJ erred in finding that there was “no credible evidence” that petitioner, a Salvadoran with ties to the Mara Salvatrucha gang, would face a clear probability of persecution if returned to El Salvador. (Arrazabal v. Lynch, 5/4/16)
USCIS Asylum Office Workload for January 2016
USCIS asylum offices’ workload, broken down by office, stage of the asylum case and nationality to applicants, for January 2016.
USCIS Asylum Office Workload for February 2016
USCIS asylum offices’ workload, broken down by office, stage of the asylum case and nationality to applicants, for February 2016.
USCIS Asylum Office Workload for March 2016
USCIS asylum offices’ workload, broken down by office, stage of the asylum case and nationality to applicants, for March 2016.
CA11 Says Noncitizens Whose Removal Orders Are Reinstated May Not Apply for Asylum
The court denied the petition for review, finding that INA §241(a)(5) renders noncitizens whose removal orders are reinstated ineligible to apply for asylum. (Jimenez-Morales v. Att'y Gen., 5/2/16)
Immigration Law Advisor, April 2016 (Vol. 10, No. 3)
The April 2016 issue of Immigration Law Advisor, a legal publication from EOIR, includes an article on the intercountry adoption process, as well as summaries of circuit court decisions from March 2016 and BIA precedent decisions.
DOJ OIL May 2016 Litigation Bulletin
The DOJ OIL Immigration Litigation Bulletin for May 2016, with articles on Torres v. Lynch and the Adverse Credibility Project, as well as summaries of circuit court decisions for May 2016.
BIA Provides Additional Opportunity to Comply with Biometrics Requirement
Unpublished BIA decision finds respondent who forgot to submit fingerprints should receive another opportunity to comply with the biometrics requirements and present her asylum application. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of L-H-A-, 4/29/16)
CA8 Upholds Asylum Denial to Mexican Family Who Feared Persecution of Matazetas Gang
The court held that the petitioners, who claimed that the Matazetas gang would persecute them if they were returned to Mexico, failed to show that the government of Mexico either condoned the conduct or was unable to protect the victims. (Saldana v. Lynch, 4/28/16)
CA5 Says Former Informants Do Not Constitute a Particular Social Group
The court denied the petition for review, finding that the petitioner's proposed social group of former informants against the Zetas, a Mexican criminal syndicate, was not sufficiently particular as to constitute a particular social group (PSG). (Hernandez-De La Cruz v. Lynch, 4/26/16)
Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin (4/25/16)
USCIS’s Affirmative Asylum Scheduling Bulletin as of 4/25/16. This Bulletin explains how the Asylum Division has prioritized the adjudication of affirmative applications for asylum.
DOS Notice of Public Comments on FY2017 U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
DOS requests comments on the appropriate size and scope of the FY2017 U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Comments are due by 5/19/16. (81 FR 23544, 4/21/16)
In the Balance: Backlogs Delay Protection in the U.S. Asylum and Immigration Court Systems
Human Rights First examines the impact that systemic delays in both the USCIS Asylum Division and the immigration courts have on the integrity of the U.S. immigration system and on asylum seekers and their families. It also offers solutions for eliminating the backlogs and lessening delays.