President: Speed Up Asylum Adjudication, Bar Work Permits for Illegal Border Crossers

President Trump yesterday signed a memorandum designed to “ensure legitimate asylum-seekers can access asylum while more efficiently processing and removing illegal migrants who are not eligible and who do not qualify.” The President directed his Administration to propose certain regulations and reassign DHS staff to speed up asylum adjudication and the deportation of aliens with final removal orders.

Within 90 days, the Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary must propose regulations to:

• Streamline the court proceedings for aliens who pass initial fear determinations;
• Adjudicate all asylum applications in immigration courts within 180 days of filing;
• Establish fees for asylum and work permit applications;
• Bar aliens who entered the country illegally from receiving provisional work permits prior to asylum relief; and
• Immediately revoke the work authorization of aliens who receive final removal orders.

The president said emergency action is needed because the immigration system has reached a breaking point. He said migrants are flooding our border and using asylum loopholes to gain entry with meritless claims and remain here indefinitely. More than 100,000 arrived in March alone. And in order to remain in the country, they often fail to show up to court hearings, fail to file an asylum application, or fail to comply with removal orders after their claims are denied.

The support his claim about asylum fraud, he noted that:

• Only about 12 out of every 100 aliens subject to expedited removal who claim asylum will be granted it;
• About half of all aliens who claim credible fear claim and are subsequently placed in removal proceedings do not actually apply for asylum;
• The number of aliens who do not show up to court and are ordered removed in absentia has soared;
• From FY 2014 to FY 2018, roughly half of removal orders issued for Unaccompanied Alien Children were issued in absentia.

Read the White House’s memorandum summary.