US DHS Ditches Asylum Interviews for Expedited Deportations

• The US DHS has dropped the requirement for an initial interview with asylum seekers, allowing expedited deportations.
• The new rule aims to reduce the backlog in the asylum system, which has exceeded 1.4 million cases by the end of 2025.
• Immigration lawyers fear that the rule change will lead to increased deportations and reduced opportunities for asylum seekers to secure work permits.
• The rule change has raised concerns about due process and the potential for exploitation and abuse of the asylum system.

The new rule claims that there was never a 'statutory right to an interview or a requirement to conduct one.'

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a significant change to the asylum process, allowing expedited deportations without an initial interview. The new rule, set to take effect on Tuesday, will send asylum seekers directly to immigration court without first being interviewed about their applications. This move is part of the DHS's efforts to reduce the backlog in the asylum system, which has exceeded 1.4 million cases by the end of 2025.

The new rule claims that there was never a 'statutory right to an interview or a requirement to conduct one.' However, immigration lawyers argue that this is merely a justification for speeding up asylum rejections and subsequent deportations. The rule change also allows USCIS to more quickly identify aliens who pose a danger to public safety or national security and place them in removal proceedings. This has raised concerns about due process and the potential for increased deportations.

The new rule may lead to increased deportations and reduced opportunities for asylum seekers to secure work permits, potentially impacting their ability to participate in the economy while awaiting their claims. Immigration lawyer Reuben Kerben warned that this could have a sprawling impact on the wider US economy, as many asylum seekers rely on work permits to support themselves during the lengthy asylum process. The rule change has also sparked concerns about the potential for exploitation and abuse of the asylum system.

Lawyers should be aware that the new rule may lead to increased deportations and reduced opportunities for asylum seekers to secure work permits, potentially impacting their clients' ability to participate in the economy while awaiting their claims.

Source: Original reporting via Courthouse News