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.
The US Response to Ukraine Shows We Have the Capacity for Humanitarian Relief
At the beginning of March 2022, as millions of Ukrainians were being displaced by Russian invasion, the U.S. government announced a series of policy changes to assist some of the people impacted by the war. Using many of the United States’ humanitarian protection authorities, the government acted quickly to help… Read More
The End of Title 42: A Long-Overdue Step Toward Rebuilding our Asylum System
The Biden administration announced today plans to end a border expulsions policy known as Title 42 by May 23. This policy allowed the U.S. government to turn people away at the U.S southern border over 1.7 million times in the past two years under the guise of protecting the country from COVID-19. Read More
Biden’s New Asylum Process: What You Need to Know
The Biden administration finalized its long-anticipated plan for overhauling the asylum system on March 24. The regulation, which is set to go into effect on an interim basis in 60 days, was first put forward for public comment in August 2021. Asylum seekers arriving at the border and… Read More
Asylum Changes from the Biden Administration Will Not Ensure Due Process as Required by U.S. Asylum Law
The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) responded to today’s release of an interim final rule related to asylum procedures with concern. The rule is being published in draft form and is slated to take effect in 60 days, however additional public comment is being accepted for 60 days. Read More
This USCIS Policy Change Will Reunite Vulnerable LGBTQ Refugee and Asylum Couples
In February, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reversed Trump administration guidance that limited recognition of marriages performed abroad only to those considered “valid” in the country where they took place. This narrow interpretation of the “place-of-celebration” rule left many refugees and asylees without a way to reunite with their… Read More
Federal Court Restores Access to Work Permits for Many Asylum Seekers
A federal court issued a decision on February 7 invalidating two Trump-era regulations that restricted access to work permits for asylum seekers. In her decision, Judge Beryl Howell of the District Court for the District of Columbia found that Chad Wolf had not been lawfully serving as Acting Secretary… Read More
Leaked Photos Reveal Inhumane Conditions in Border Processing Centers
New leaked photos of Border Patrol stations in Yuma, Arizona show Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) inhumane treatment of people apprehended at the border— revealing that years of overcrowded, unsanitary, and cruel conditions continue despite multiple deaths, legal challenges, and the Biden administration’s promise to create a humane immigration system. Read More
Court Does Not Expedite Work Permit Renewals for Asylum Seekers, Leaving Thousands Without Work or at Risk of Losing Jobs
A federal court denied preliminary relief in a lawsuit challenging USCIS's extreme delays and failure to process work permit renewals for asylum seekers. The judge declined to order USCIS to process work permit renewal applications within the 180-day automatic extension of employment authorization. Read More
Lawsuit Seeks Answers to Privacy and Data Risks Associated with the CBP One App
The American Immigration Council filed a FOIA lawsuit against CBP requesting information about the agency’s implementation of CBP One— an app designed to help process individuals entering the United States including asylum seekers—that has raised concerns among immigration and privacy advocates. Read More
Biden’s Border Ambitions Fall Short in a Year of Setbacks and Continued Focus on Deterrence
President Biden took office committing to unwind Trump’s border policies and go in a new direction—to reunite families, restore access to asylum, and reverse “policies enacted over the last 4 years that contravened our values and caused needless human suffering.” Despite a strong start in early 2021, the border is… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
