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.
More than 100 Business Organizations Sign onto Council Letter Urging Congress to Reduce the Waiting Period for Asylum Seekers to Obtain Work Permits
For Immediate Release WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2023—Today, the … Read More
Court Hears Challenge to Asylum Turnback
On October 13, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California will hear arguments in Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance v. Mayorkas, a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful policy of turning back people seeking asylum without a CBP One appointment. Read More
American Immigration Council Applauds TPS Re-Designation for Venezuelans, Granting Much-Needed Relief and Work Authorization
The Council responds to the Biden Administration's announcement that it will be extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans who arrived in the United States before July 31, 2023. Read More
American Immigration Council leads coalition letter to DHS requesting transparency into Family Expedited Removal Program
The American Immigration Council joined 45 other organizations in calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to provide more transparency into the Family Expedited Removal Program (FERM). The letter calls for DHS to: Publish and maintain… Read More
CBP’s Continued ‘Turnbacks’ Are Sending Asylum Seekers Back to Lethal Danger
On April 8, a family came to the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana and asked to be let into the United States to seek asylum. The husband’s arm was bleeding. He’d been shot. The cartel that had driven him and his family from Jalisco the previous fall, when… Read More
The True Impact of Biden’s Asylum Transit Ban
On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that the Biden administration’s asylum transit ban was illegal and should be vacated. The ruling isn’t in effect yet – it was delayed for 14 days and may be stayed indefinitely by the 9th Circuit or the Supreme Court. This would leave the… Read More
Challenging CBP One Turnback Policy
This lawsuit challenges the federal government’s border-wide policy and practice of turning back asylum seekers without a CBP One appointment at ports of entry. Read More
Stays in CBP Custody Are Getting Longer Due to ‘Phone Booth Asylum’ Policy
“I never thought I’d say there’s anything worse than ICE custody, but this is it.” That’s an immigration attorney in San Diego talking to CNN about the shelter facilities run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These shelters near the border are not designed to house people for… Read More
Council Seeks Records on CBP’s Treatment of Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border
This FOIA request seeks information on CBP’s treatment of asylum seekers and their access to inspection appointments scheduled via CBP One, revealing potential violations of their rights. Read More
Biden’s Asylum Transit Ban – Where Are We Now?
The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency back in May meant an end to Title 42. That policy, grounded in an obscure public health law, was put in place by the Trump administration in March 2020 to stifle asylum rights at the U.S. southern border. To prevent a post-Title… Read More
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