Asylum

The Government Knew It Didn’t Have the Technology to Track Separated Families. It Did So Anyway.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—the agency responsible for systematically separating thousands of migrant families in the summer of 2018—lacked the technology or mechanisms to record and track the separations, a government watchdog group recently found. Family separations—done under the Trump administration’s “Zero Tolerance policy”—started before the policy was even announced. The policy was first […]

Freedom of Information Act Request Regarding Asylum Negotiations Between the U.S. and Guatemala

The American Immigration Council filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State (DOS) seeking information regarding the signing of an "Asylum Cooperative Agreement" with Guatemala.

The requests seek information about the signing of this agreement, as well as the process by which the U.S. government will evaluate the Guatemalan asylum system prior to sending asylum seekers to that country.

Trump Administration Begins Sending Asylum Seekers to Guatemala

In yet another major blow to America’s asylum system, on Wednesday the Trump administration reportedly began sending some asylum seekers from Honduras and El Salvador to Guatemala rather than permit them to seek protection in the United States. Under the “Asylum Cooperative Agreement” deal signed with Guatemala in July, the Guatemalan government will process the […]

Statement for the House Committee on Homeland Security “Examining the Human Rights and Legal Implications of DHS’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy.”

The American Immigration Council submitted a written statement to the House Committee on Homeland Security for a November 19, 2019 hearing on the “Examining the Human Rights and Legal Implications of DHS’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy.”

‘I Was Denied Access to the Tent Courts Where Asylum Seekers Are Rushed Through a Sham Process.’

Nearly 60,000 people seeking asylum in the United States have been returned to Mexico to wait for their U.S. court hearings under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the Remain in Mexico program. Last week, I traveled to South Texas to observe the effects of the Trump administration program firsthand. Those subjected to […]

USCIS Proposes Increased Fees for All Immigration-Related Applications

In a new proposal officially put forward on Thursday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) called for major fee hikes for immigration-related applications. The cost for becoming a citizen would rise above $1,000 for the first time in history. In another first, USCIS proposed a new fee for asylum seekers, which would make the United […]

Opposition Mounts to Trump’s Effort to Delay Work Permits for People Seeking Asylum

The Trump administration is proposing a new rule that would delay work authorization for people seeking asylum in the United States. The move is drawing opposition from advocates across the country. The proposed rule risks leaving people unable to support themselves and their families for months. The rule would eliminate a 30-day deadline by which […]