Washington, DC - "The biggest loophole drawing illegal aliens to our borders is the use of fraudulent or meritless asylum claims to gain entry into our great country." ~ President Donald J. Trump

PROTECTING OUR ASYLUM SYSTEM: President Donald J. Trump is protecting the integrity of our asylum system and responding to the humanitarian and security crisis at our border.

• President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum to ensure legitimate asylum-seekers can access asylum while more efficiently processing and removing illegal migrants who are not eligible and who do not qualify.
• The President is directing his Administration to propose regulations to:
  • Streamline the court proceedings for aliens who pass initial fear determinations.
  • Adjudicate all asylum applications in immigration courts within 180 days of filing.
  • Require fees for asylum applications and work permit applications.
  • Bar aliens who have entered or attempted to enter the country illegally from receiving provisional work permits prior to being approved for relief.
  • Immediately revoke the work authorization of aliens who receive final removal orders.
• The President is directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to reprioritize the assignment of immigration officers to improve the integrity of credible fear adjudications, strengthen law enforcement, and enforce removal orders from immigration judges.

THE ASYLUM LOOPHOLE: Migrants are flooding to our border to use asylum to gain entry into our country and remain here indefinitely.

• Our immigration system has reached a breaking point as we continue to see an overwhelming surge of migrants, with more than 100,000 arriving at our border in March alone.
• As a result of loopholes in United States immigration law, migrants claiming fear are often released into communities across the United States, where they often remain indefinitely.
• In order to remain in the country, they often fail to show up to court hearings, fail to file an asylum application, or fail to comply with removal orders once their claims have been denied.

REDUCING ASYLUM FRAUD: Illegal migrants with meritless claims have used our asylum system to enter our country illegally and remain here indefinitely.

• On average, out of every 100 aliens subject to expedited removal who claim a fear of persecution, only about 12 will ultimately be granted asylum.
• Around half of all aliens who make a credible fear claim and are subsequently placed in removal proceedings do not actually apply for asylum.
• The number of aliens who do not show up to court and are ordered removed in absentia has soared, with 17,200 removal orders issued in absentia in the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2019.
  • If this pace continues, in absentia removal orders would more than triple the 2013 total.
  • For cases originating in a credible fear claim, in absentia removal orders are on pace to increase to 17,636 in FY 2019, around 20 times more than the total in FY 2010.
  • From FY 2014 to FY 2018, roughly half of removal orders issued for Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) were issued in absentia.
  • Since September 2018, 1 out of every 6 family unit cases filed on special expedited dockets at 10 immigration courts has ended with an in absentia removal order.