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.
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
The Reimplementation of MPP is Betrayal of President Biden’s Campaign Promises
The Biden administration announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to revive and reimplement the Migrant Protection Protocols by mid-November. The Council believes that plans to restart the program is a betrayal of the president’s campaign promises and a sign that this administration is failing to reenvision border management and the way that we treat asylum seekers. Read More
Citing Factual and Legal Flaws, Groups Urge DHS to Acknowledge Systematic Barriers in Second Memo Terminating MPP
The American Immigration Council and 29+ organizations urged DHS—in a letter offering factual and legal recommendations on how to end the Migrant Protection Protocols—to fully and forcefully acknowledge the humanitarian and legal catastrophe caused by MPP. Read More
Council and Partners Offer Guidance to DHS on Terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols
The Council and 30 other organizations sent a letter to DHS offering an assessment of the factual and legal bases for terminating the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program. Read More
Coalition Letter Calls on Biden Administration to End Private and Local Detention Contracts and Take Steps to Dismantle Detention System
The American Immigration Council joins a coalition letter that calls on the Biden administration to terminate local detention contracts and halt all other efforts to expand the ICE detention system. Read More
Biden Administration Doubles Down On Title 42 As Del Rio Expulsions Draw to A Close
In September, nearly 15,000 Haitians arrived near Del Rio, Texas seeking asylum in the United States. But rather than allowing them to seek protection, as is their right under United States law, the Biden administration instead began a process of mass expulsions to Haiti. With expulsions to Haiti finally… Read More
Council and AILA Follow Up with DHS Regarding a Functioning System of Discretionary Release from ICE Detention
The Council and AILA, through their Immigration Justice Campaign followed up on their March 25, 2021 letter to the DHS and ICE with examples of unfair denials of requests for release at ICE facilities around the country. Read More
Biden Administration Reopens Protection Program for At-Risk Central American Children
The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced recently that they will be accepting new applications for the Central American Minors (CAM) Program, created to process immigrant children into the United States in a humane and efficient manner. This announcement is part of the agencies’ plan to reopen and… Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
