Trump takes major step to restrict asylum claims – live updates - New regulation would block claims by people who cross border unlawfully - Move is ‘illegal’, says ACLU’s director of immigrants’ rights project
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Trump moves to restrict asylum claims
The Trump administration has moved to restrict asylum claims by migrants, with a new regulation that would block people from claiming asylum if they illegally cross the US-Mexico border.
The ACLU said it would be illegal to block the asylum process in this manner and would prohibit many individuals from applying. Said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s immigrants’ rights project:
US law specifically allows individuals to apply for asylum whether or not they are at a port of entry. It is illegal to circumvent that by agency or presidential decree.
The Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, and the acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, released a statement on the rule that said:
Consistent with our immigration laws, the President has the broad authority to suspend or restrict the entry of aliens into the United States if he determines it to be in the national interest to do so. Today’s rule applies this important principle to aliens who violate such a suspension or restriction regarding the southern border imposed by the President by invoking an express authority provided by Congress to restrict eligibility for asylum. Our asylum system is overwhelmed with too many meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources, preventing us from being able to expeditiously grant asylum to those who truly deserve it. Today, we are using the authority granted to us by Congress to bar aliens who violate a Presidential suspension of entry or other restriction from asylum eligibility.” ...
08 Nov 2018, 6:40 pm
