Washington, July 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Trump administration has introduced changes to the US asylum process that will allow immigration authorities to refer certain asylum applications directly to immigration judges without first conducting interviews, a move the government says is aimed at reducing case backlogs but which has drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an interim final rule enabling the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to bypass the initial interview stage for some affirmative asylum applications and transfer them directly to immigration courts. The rule takes immediate effect, although DHS has invited public comments before finalising the regulation.
Affirmative asylum applications are filed by individuals who are not already in removal proceedings. Under the existing system, USCIS generally interviews applicants before deciding the case or referring it to an immigration judge for further review.
According to DHS, eliminating the interview requirement in selected cases will help streamline the asylum process and reduce delays by allowing asylum officers and immigration judges to process cases more efficiently.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the asylum system should be reserved for individuals with genuine claims of persecution and argued that the revised procedure would help prevent misuse of the system for delays or work authorisation.
DHS General Counsel James Percival also defended the rule, saying it would improve the efficiency of immigration enforcement and support the administration’s broader policy objectives.
However, immigration advocacy organisation FWD.us criticised the measure, describing it as a significant departure from long-standing USCIS practice. The group argued that bypassing interviews would remove an important layer of review and eliminate the requirement for referral letters to include an assessment of an applicant’s credibility.
The organisation also objected to the rule being implemented as an interim final regulation, contending that it limits the traditional public consultation process and could weaken due process protections for asylum seekers.
The policy change comes as hundreds of thousands of immigrants continue to await decisions related to Temporary Protected Status (TPS). FWD.us noted that protections for nationals of countries including Haiti and Syria could soon expire, while legal proceedings have temporarily halted similar actions involving Burma, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
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