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.
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
Coalition Effort Calls for Fair and Efficient Work Permit Process for Asylum Seekers
The Council joined 74 other organizations in a letter calling for DHS to eliminate restrictions on work authorization for asylum seekers. Read More
Failure to Reauthorize Employment Harms Asylum Seekers and the U.S. Economy
U.S. workers are losing their jobs due to bureaucratic delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), despite an economy desperate for workers. Asylum seekers wanting to renew their employment authorization documents are often waiting for upwards of a year for renewal, resulting in job loss and associated benefits. On… Read More
U.S. Workers Sue USCIS for Unlawful Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations
Five workers in the United States filed a nationwide class action lawsuit today challenging unlawful log-jam and extreme delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that have resulted in the government’s failure to process the work authorization renewals for asylum seekers. Read More
Challenging USCIS for Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations
The Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit to ensure timely renewal of work authorizations documents for asylum seekers. Read More
ICE Begins Mass Mailing Court Notices to Asylum Seekers Released at the Border
Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have released over 250,000 people seeking asylum directly at the border. In nearly half of these cases, people were not released with a formal “Notice to Appear” in immigration court. Instead, officers gave them a “Notice to Report”… Read More
Recission of MPP Is a Step Toward Ending a Humanitarian Catastrophe and Restoring Dignity to the Asylum Process
The Biden administration announced that DHS will issue a new memo to formally terminate the Migrant Protection Protocols. It is an important step towards ensuring that the MPP program never returns. Read More
Council Advocates for Meaningful Access to Legal Representation in Immigration Detention
The American Immigration Council and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) advocated for attorney access in immigration detention facilities in a letter sent a letter to DHS and ICE. Read More
Council and Partners Call on ICE and USCIS to Eliminate Delays for Detained Asylum Seekers
The Council and partners urged ICE and USCIS in a letter to ensure timely credible and reasonable fear interviews at U.S. immigration detention centers. Read More
Council and Partners Comment on Changes to Streamlined Asylum Removal Proceedings
The Council, AILA, and the Immigration Justice Campaign commented on the proposed creation of “Dedicated Docket” in immigration court to complete the claims of asylum-seeking families within 300 days. Read More
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