Trump administration plan would allow quick asylum rejections without interviews, documents show
Internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News show the Trump administration is developing a plan to allow U.S. immigration officials to quickly reject some asylum applications without interviewing the applicants. Under the proposed regulation, officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would be empowered to reject applications filed more than a year after arrival if no exception applies, and place rejected applicants in deportation proceedings. The regulation would upend USCIS’s longstanding policy of interviewing virtually all asylum applicants before making a decision. A USCIS spokesperson stated the administration is considering options to address a backlog of over a million asylum claims. Immigration lawyer Conchita Cruz expressed concern that the regulation could place applicants in deportation without allowing them to explain late filings. The documents describe the regulation as the latest effort by the Trump administration to tighten access to the U.S. asylum system.
What’s reported
The Trump administration is developing a plan that would allow U.S. immigration officials to quickly reject some asylum applications without interviewing the applicants, according to internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News.
The regulation would empower USCIS officers to reject asylum applications filed after the one‑year arrival deadline without adhering to the traditional interview practice.
Rejected applicants would be placed in deportation proceedings before the Justice Department’s immigration court system.
U.S. law generally disqualifies asylum applications filed more than a year after entry, with exceptions for serious medical conditions, poor legal counsel, or unaccompanied minors.
The regulation would allow USCIS to proceed with an interview if exceptions are met but would upend the longstanding policy of interviewing virtually all applicants.
A USCIS spokesperson said the administration is “considering multiple options” to address a backlog of over a million asylum claims, including sending “deficient” applications to immigration courts.
Conchita Cruz, co‑executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, stated the regulation could “wrongfully” place applicants in deportation proceedings without allowing them to explain late filings.
As of last fall, USCIS had 1.5 million pending asylum applications; as of March, immigration courts had 3.3 million pending claims, 2.3 million involving asylum.
Key figures
President Trump (mentioned as head of administration)
USCIS spokesperson (unnamed in article)
Conchita Cruz, co‑executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project
Sources: CBS News
