New Immigration Policy Hurts Asylum Seekers

Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have made no secret of their derision for immigrants seeking asylum, whether they are doing so affirmatively through an asylum office or by raising fear of persecution in their native countries as a defense to deportation. Whatever the case may be, the fact is that there is a backlog at the asylum office of over 311,000 individuals seeking asylum, many of whom have waited years for interviews regarding their asylum applications. This backlog is the result of the asylum office taking in more applications per month than it can adjudicate. The federal asylum office recently issued a memo explaining how it would now be prioritizing those asylum applications that have been pending for 21 days or less. This is directly contrary to the historic policy of the asylum office in adjudicating asylum applications in the order in which they were received. This new policy leaves tens of thousands of older asylum applications pending even longer, with no clear plan for adjudicating them at any point in the future. According to the Trump administration, the new policy is designed to cut down on the number of asylum applications filed solely for the purposes of getting employment authorization. Asylum applicants become eligible for work authorization after their applications have been pending for five months, and most applicants receive this authorization within a year of filing for asylum. In other words, the federal government is hoping to prevent individuals from falsely seeking asylum so that they can legally work in the U.S. As the Trump administration continues to initiate policies that hurt immigrants, you and your loved ones may be at a greater risk for deportation. Fortunately, the skilled and knowledgeable immigration lawyers of Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C. are here to get immigrants released from detention and defend them against removal from the country. We handle these types of cases on a regular basis and have valuable knowledge about how to best represent your interests, based on your individual circumstances. By contacting our office right away, you will place yourself in the best position possible to have loved ones released from detention and defend again potential removal from home and family.