Refugees and Asylum Seekers
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
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
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
This Special Program Gives Refugee Athletes a Chance to Compete in the Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to expand a unique venture for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: The Refugee Olympic Team. The expansion is part of the IOC’s long-term effort to empower displaced athletes both before and after the Olympics. The Refugee Olympic Team will feature athletes from 13 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, South… Read More
Scientific Evidence Shows Assumptions About Asylum Seekers’ Memory Are Wrong
How well should someone be able to remember every detail of a traumatic event? The U.S. government argues people should have a near perfect memory to obtain asylum—even if they experienced the trauma years in the past. Due to unprecedented backlogs in immigration court and the Asylum office,… Read More
Biden Will Admit Asylum Seekers Ordered Deported Under Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols
Asylum seekers who were ordered deported for missing their U.S. court hearings under the Trump administration’s so-called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)—informally known as the “Remain in Mexico” program—will be allowed to restart their proceedings in the United States. Thousands of others whose cases were terminated because of procedural… Read More
On World Refugee Day, A Call to Rebuild U.S. Refugee Resettlement
World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally on June 20 every year. It honors the struggle of refugees around the world who are fleeing violence and persecution and are unable to safely return to their home countries. Over this past year, in the middle of a devastating global pandemic, the number… Read More
Attorney General Rescinds Two Trump Decisions, Restoring Protection to Many Asylum Seekers
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on June 16 that he is restoring a vital lifeline to survivors of gender-based violence, gang violence, and violence on account of family relationships. Garland issued two decisions overruling Trump-era Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr’s rulings disqualify many such individuals from asylum in… Read More
Collecting DNA From Asylum Seekers at the Border Raises Privacy Concerns
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is collecting DNA from asylum seekers at the border, recent media reports confirm. This is the latest expansion of DNA collection as part of a program initiated under the Trump administration that targets nearly all immigrants in government custody. A growing number of noncitizens… 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
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