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 8, 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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Coalition Letter Expresses Concerns About Proposed Expedited Asylum Process
The Council expressed concerns about the Biden administration's plans for a new type of expedited asylum proceedings. Read More
Coalition Letter Urges Biden Administration to End Migrant Protection Protocols
The Council urged the Biden administration to improve MPP wind down processing and toy move ahead with a second phase to include all individuals subjected to MPP. Read More
New ‘Dedicated Docket’ Could Rush Asylum-Seeking Families Through Court
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on May 28 the creation of a new “Dedicated Docket” in immigration court for the claims of asylum-seeking families. The goal of this new “rocket docket” is to complete most new cases within 300 days. A… Read More
Sinema and Cornyn Propose Changes to Asylum Processing at the Border
The current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has once again exposed the flaws of our country’s asylum system. On April 22, Senators Kyrsten Sinema and John Cornyn and Representatives Tony Gonzales and Henry Cueller introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill as an effort to alleviate some of the system’s greatest deficiencies. Read More
Rising Border Encounters in 2021: An Overview and Analysis
This Council fact sheet provides an overview and analysis of border encounters and border apprehensions in 2021. Read More
How the Biden Administration Is Responding to Unaccompanied Children, Families, and Adults at the Border
Only days after President Biden took office, some people were already declaring that the border was in a state of crisis. But recently released U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics reveal that the truth is more complicated. The Biden administration is dealing with two very different phenomena at the… Read More
Coalition Letter Calling for Phase-Out of Detention, Beginning with Ten Facilities
The American Immigration Council joined other organizations in calling on the Biden administration to phase-out immigration detention, beginning with the closure of ten specific facilities. Read More
Republicans Introduced 11 New Anti-Immigration Bills. Here’s What’s at Stake If They Pass.
A group of Republican lawmakers recently introduced a slew of anti-immigration bills in the House of Representatives and Senate. The bills primarily target people’s rights to seek asylum in the United States, as well as re-up a laundry list of anti-immigration initiatives from the Trump administration. Read More
A Guide to Title 42 Expulsions at the Border
The United States has long guaranteed the right to seek asylum to individuals who arrive at our southern border and ask for protection. But since March 20, 2020, that fundamental right has been largely suspended. Read More
What’s Not Being Said About the Border
The current situation at the U.S.-Mexico border—including the rise in immigrant children in U.S. government custody—has captured the nation’s attention in recent weeks. Much of the conversation has focused on a supposed “surge” in arrivals under the Biden administration, but the current increase began well before… Read More
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