Biden administration proposes major asylum system remodel
The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed a major, long-awaited overhaul to the U.S. asylum system, a decision that comes as migrant apprehensions at the southern border reach a 21-year high, Politico reports.
The policy, a draft of which was reported by Buzzfeed News in May, targets the years-long backlog in immigration cases and aims to expedite new claims by shifting decision-making power for certain migrants away from immigration judges and toward asylum officers, per Buzzfeed. In the case of a denied claim, the asylum seeker would be able to appeal the decision.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The proposed policy will likely not be implemented for months, as it awaits 60 days-worth of comments from the public. When finalized, it could "represent [President Biden's] largest change to immigration policy thus far," as well as "fundamentally change dynamics at the southern border" in that it dramatically cuts down on the time needed to adjudicate cases, write Politico and Buzzfeed.
"This rule will both reduce the caseload in our immigration courts and protect the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Read more at Buzzfeed News.
-
Quiz of The Week: 14 – 20 FebruaryQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: Do the Freemasons have too much sway in the police force?Podcast Plus, what does the growing popularity of prediction markets mean for the future? And why are UK film and TV workers struggling?
-
Properties of the week: pretty thatched cottagesThe Week Recommends Featuring homes in West Sussex, Dorset and Suffolk
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
