Trump Administration Fast-Tracks Asylum Denials, Deepens Immigration Crackdown
Trump accelerates asylum denials, sidelines courts, and plans to strip work permits for migrants awaiting protection.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is intensifying efforts to dismantle the U.S. asylum system, pressuring judges to rapidly dismiss cases and pursuing new restrictions on work permits for migrants awaiting decisions, according to internal government memos and multiple media reports.
In a directive dated May 30, the Department of Justice ordered immigration judges to issue oral decisions the same day as hearings and allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to request dismissals without additional documentation. The guidance also instructs judges to expedite deportations for cases deemed “legally insufficient.”
Asylum seekers denied protection are often detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents immediately after court hearings. Meanwhile, the administration is also considering ending work permits for asylum applicants, according to a CBS report citing DHS sources — a move that could push thousands into the informal economy.
In March, immigration courts denied …