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
USCIS Asylum Division Stakeholder Meeting Agenda and Unofficial Notes (10/22/13) (Updated 3/18/14)
Agenda and unofficial notes from the 10/22/13 USCIS Asylum Division Quarterly Stakeholder meeting. Topics include Asylum Division updates, statistics, recent policy memoranda, the affirmative asylum application backlog, headquarters review, travel documents, NCSC, and more.
Presidential Determination of Refugee Admissions for FY2014
Presidential determination through memorandum for the Secretary of State with refugee admissions for FY2014, including regional allocations. (78 FR 62415, 10/21/13)
U.S. Reaches Refugee Admission Target for First Time Since 1980
DOS press release that the U.S. brought 69,930 refugees to live in the U.S. in FY2013, which is the closest to the authorized refugee admissions ceiling of 70,000 than in any year since 1980.
USCIS Revised Decision Letter Templates as Appendices to the AAPM
A 10/17/13 memo from John Lafferty, Chief of Asylum Division, announcing the issuance of revised decision letter templates to replace the current versions that are appendices to the Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual (“AAPM”).
USCIS Revised Procedures on Failure to Appear for Asylum Interviews and Reschedule Requests
A 10/17/13 memo from John Lafferty, Chief of Asylum Division, providing revised procedural guidance to USCIS Service Centers’ governing an asylum applicant’s failure to appear for an asylum interview and the submission of requests to reschedule an asylum interview.
Application of the "Exceptional Circumstance" Standard in Cases Where Applicant Failed to Appear for Asylum Interview
A 10/17/13 memo from John Lafferty, Chief of Asylum Division, providing revised procedural guidance to USCIS Service Centers’ application of the “exceptional circumstances” standard in cases where an applicant has failed to appear for an asylum interview.
CA1 Denies Asylum to Petitioner Involved in Albania’s Democratic Party
The court affirmed the final removal order, finding the BIA and IJ denial of the application for asylum was supported by substantial evidence, including evidence from DOS country reports of fundamental political changes in Albania. (Vasili v. Holder, 10/16/13)
CA4 Denies Motion to Reopen for Estonian-born Russian Citizen
The court denied the untimely motion to reopen the removal proceedings, holding that equitable tolling was not appropriate because the petitioner failed to show any wrongful conduct from the government or any other extraordinary circumstances. (Kuusk v. Holder, 10/16/13)
AILA Amicus Brief on Past Persecution of LGBT Children
AILA amicus brief file with the Eleventh Circuit, arguing that immigration judges and the BIA should consider the cumulative impact of all harms when assessing persecution in an asylum/withholding case, including the particular vulnerabilities of LGBT children.
CA1 Denies Withholding and CAT Relief to ICE Informant
The court upheld the withholding and CAT denials, finding that “former ICE informants who have acted against Brazilian citizens resulting in their deportation” did not constitute a social group and that the persecution was on account of a personal vendetta. (Costa v. Holder, 10/4/13)
BIA Remands CAT Claim Where IJ Ignored Evidence
Unpublished BIA decision remands for further consideration in the abundance of caution the deferral of removal where IJ failed to consider evidence regarding prison conditions in Thailand and the basis for the denial was unclear. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of V-V-, 10/4/13)
Asylum Work Authorization Class Action Lawsuit (Updated 2/6/14)
Information on the nationwide class action lawsuit on the asylum EAD clock, B.H., et al. v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al. (also referred to as the ABT Settlement Agreement).
BIA Finds IJs Failed to Sufficiently Examine Possible Asylum Claim
Unpublished BIA decision remands for further consideration of potential asylum claim where respondent asserted fear of gangs in El Salvador. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of Monge, 10/3/13)
DOJ OIL October 2013 Litigation Bulletin
The DOJ OIL Immigration Litigation Bulletin for October 2013, with articles on an asylum applicant’s due process rights and frivolous findings based on a withdrawn asylum application, as well as recent circuit court decisions and monthly topical parentheticals.
USCIS Updated Guidance on Language Certification for Asylum Officers
A 9/30/13 memo from John Lafferty, Chief of Asylum Division, announcing updated guidance for language-certified Asylum Officers to conduct credible and reasonable fear interviews in a language other than English; and provides procedures for obtaining language certification from DOS.
USCIS Issues Updated Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual
A 9/30/13 memo from John Lafferty, Chief of Asylum Division, announcing the issuance of a revised Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual (“AAPM”) which contains both format and substantive changes. The revised manual supersedes the version issued in November 2007.
CA7 Denies Asylum to Chinese Christian Living in Indonesia
The court upheld the BIA’s denial of the asylum, withholding and CAT claims, finding that the petitioner’s motion to reopen did not point to any evidence that was previously undiscoverable and that the disfavored group approach did not apply. (Salim v. Holder, 8/28/13)
OSC TAL on Reverifying Asylee/Refugee EADs
A 9/25/13 Technical Assistance Letter (TAL) from DOJ Deputy Special Counsel Seema Nanda with guidance on steps employers should take when an asylee or refugee worker presents an EAD for initial I-9 purposes and the EAD subsequently expires.
BIA Remands to Give Respondent Explicit Opportunity to File Asylum Application
Unpublished BIA decision remanding to give the respondent an explicit opportunity to file an asylum application where the IJ made no further inquiry after the respondent stated he was "a little bit afraid" of returning to El Salvador. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of Castro Rosa, 9/25/13)
CA9 Remands for BIA to Grant Withholding to Gay Filipino Petitioner
The court granted in part a petition for review, reversing the BIA’s denial of withholding, and holding that the BIA erred by engaging in its own fact-finding, rather than clear error review, in evaluating the harm suffered by a gay Filipino petitioner. (Vitug v. Holder, 7/24/13)
CA9 Remands Asylum Claim for Diola from Senegal
The panel vacated the BIA’s adverse credibility finding and remanded, finding the BIA erred by drawing an adverse inference from the low level of persecution detail provided in the mistakenly filed N-400, as well as with alleged inconsistencies with the I-589. (Bassene v. Holder, 9/23/13)
BIA Remands Asylum Case For Cameroon Native
Unpublished BIA decision remanding case for additional fact-finding and new decision after finding submitted evidence may be sufficient to rehabilitate the respondent’s credibility or established independently past persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. Courtesy of David Cleveland.
USCIS Request for Comments on Revisions to Form I-590
USCIS 60-day notice of request for comments on revisions to Form I-590, Registration for Classification as Refugee, which contains the information needed for USCIS to adjudicate refugee applications. Comments are due by 11/19/13. (78 FR 57870, 9/20/13)
CA10 Dismisses Petition from El Salvadoran Business Owner Threatened by MS 18 Gang
In a nonprecedential decision, the court concluded and dismissed the petition to review, finding that the petitioner failed to exhaust her administrative remedies and thus lacked jurisdiction to consider them. (Castellanos-Pineda, 9/20/13)
CA9 Upholds Asylum Denial for Guatemalan Rape Victim
The court upheld the BIA’s denial of asylum, finding that petitioner did not show persecution on account of real or imputed political opinion and that the attack she suffered did not occur with the acquiescence of the Guatemalan government. (Garcia-Milian v. Holder, 9/18/13, amended 2/13/14)