Asylum
Asylum grants legal protection to foreign nationals already in the U.S. or arriving at the border who can’t go back to their home country because of persecution. Learn more about the asylum system in the United States, including how asylum is defined, eligibility requirements, and the difficult and complex application process.
Asylum in the United States
- Asylum
- May 9, 2025
Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government agencies. This fact sheet provides an overview of…
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Turning Back Asylum Seekers is Against the Law, Court Finds
A federal court concluded Thursday that the U.S. government’s turning back of asylum seekers at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border—primarily through a practice called metering—not only violates U.S. law, but also is unconstitutional. Before the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and Title 42, U.S. Customs and Border… Read More
Court Says Turnbacks of Tens of Thousands of Asylum Seekers Are Unlawful
A federal judge declared unlawful the U.S. government’s turnbacks of asylum seekers arriving at ports of entry along the U.S southern border. The court ruled that the United States is required by law to inspect and process asylum seekers when they present themselves at ports of entry, and condemned the practice of denying access to the asylum process through metering and similar practices. Read More
Immigrant Rights Advocates Urge Court to Permanently End Trump-Era Policy that Turned Back Tens of Thousands of Asylum Seekers
Immigrant rights advocates released a statement after presenting oral arguments before U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California, where they urged the court to declare unlawful and permanently end the Trump-era turnback policy. Read More
Supreme Court Refuses to Stop the Migrant Protection Protocols From Going Back Into Effect
The Supreme Court refused to block an order to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. The decision comes after a Texas judge halted the government’s recission of the controversial and illegal program. The Supreme Court’s ruling means that the government must make “best… Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court Decides to Send Asylum Seekers to Danger
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to stay a ruling from a lower Texas court that would force the Biden administration to revive the Migrant Protection Protocols. Read More
Advocates Urge Supreme Court to Stop Revival of Migrant Protection Protocols
Immigration groups and judges urged the U.S. Supreme Court in an amicus brief to stay a Texas court ruling that would force the Biden administration to revive the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) – an illegal policy that forced asylum seekers to await their U.S. court dates in perilous conditions in Mexico. Read More
Council and Partners Urge Supreme Court to Stop Texas Court from Reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols
This amicus brief urges the Supreme Court to stop the reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), and halt the lower court's poorly reasoned and factually flawed decision. Read More
Biden Administration Plans Big Changes for Asylum Seekers at the Border
The Biden administration announced this week that it will propose a new rule to speed up the fair and humane processing of asylum claims of people arriving at the U.S. border. The issue has been the recent subject of fierce public and political debate. Tellingly, this is the new administration’s… Read More
Advocates Submit Brief to Stop the Revival of Migrant Protection Protocols
The Council and partner immigration groups and former immigration judges filed an amicus brief to stop the reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols. Read More
Council and Partners Submit Amicus Brief to Stop the Reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols
This brief highlights the court's many factual errors about MPP in its decision to reinstate the program. Read More
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