Nearly 444,000 cases sent to immigration courts to expedite the resolution of asylee status

WASHINGTON:- The Trump administration is set to refer hundreds of thousands of asylum cases to immigration courts, aiming to expedite the legal immigration process for asylum seekers and facilitate their deportation.

This change, implemented on Monday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, authorizes asylum officers to bypass the interview process for certain applicants and refer them directly to an immigration judge for deportation proceedings.

According to USCIS estimates, one-third of the more than 1.4 million pending asylum cases—representing 444,000 asylum applicants—will be affected by this rule.

USCIS has presented this move as an effort to streamline the process and reduce the backlog of pending cases. This interim final rule will take effect on Tuesday and includes a 60-day public comment period.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated, “For a long time, the asylum system has been misused—not for legitimate claims of protection, but to prolong the process and obtain work authorization.”

In a statement, Adlo said, “The U.S. asylum system is truly intended for the protection of individuals who fear persecution. This rule will help ensure the efficient use of resources for the timely adjudication of genuine claims, rather than focusing on those seeking to exploit weaknesses in the system.”

However, according to lawyers advocating for immigrants, this change puts refugees who have attempted to comply with the law at risk of deportation.

Individuals who entered the country legally—such as on a visa—and have maintained their legal status apply to USCIS, and their cases are adjudicated by an asylum officer.

However, individuals who have crossed the border illegally or lack documentation can only apply once deportation proceedings have been initiated against them; in such instances, they have historically had the opportunity to present evidence and the details of their case before an immigration judge.