Washington: The Trump administration is moving to sharply restrict access to asylum by urging US immigration judges to dismiss cases without hearings and redirect migrants to third countries, a shift officials say is aimed at closing what they describe as a “huge loophole” in legal immigration, according to a report by Politico.
The Department of Homeland Security has asked courts to summarily dismiss asylum applications and remove migrants to third countries where they could seek protection, even if they have no prior ties there.
The approach relies on so-called safe third-country agreements negotiated with nations including Uganda, Honduras, and Ecuador, the news outlet reported.
The effort forms part of a broader push to curb immigration and accelerate deportations, as the administration seeks to meet an ambitious annual removal target.
Asylum filings have surged in recent years, with nearly 900,000 claims pending before immigration courts in fiscal year 2024, compared with about 200,000 annually during President Donald Trump’s first term.
“Asylum was not designed to provide people a backdoor way to get to a country of their choosing,” a senior administration official was quoted as saying, defending the policy.
“If the United States is confident that they can be successfully removed to another country where they will not be threatened, then there’s no reason or expectation that they should be allowed to remain here.”
The administration’s strategy gained momentum in October, when the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals instructed judges to consider third-country removal before weighing asylum claims in the United States.
Following that guidance, DHS attorneys asked judges to dismiss nearly 5,000 cases in November, more than double the figure from October, Politico reported.
Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups say the policy further weakens humanitarian protections built into the US asylum system. “The administration wants to demolish our humanitarian protection system,” said Rebekah Wolf of the American Immigration Council. “They do not want to have people have the ability to apply for asylum in the United States.”
Administration officials reject that criticism, arguing that individuals with genuine fears of persecution should focus on safety rather than location. “They shouldn’t care about what specific location,” one official said, adding that disagreements with the law should be taken up in Congress.
The Trump administration has expanded its use of third-country arrangements, including deportations to African nations and a recent deal with Palau to accept a limited number of migrants in exchange for US aid. Supporters of the policy say it restores asylum to its original intent. “It’s a way to deter bogus asylum claims,” said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies.
DHS maintains that the policy is lawful and necessary to reduce the immigration court backlog, which officials say has fallen to under 3.75 million cases.
The administration projects nearly 600,000 deportations in its first year, surpassing previous US records.
Such a move might hit asylum seekers from India, in particular those supported by Sikh separatist groups in the name of false political oppression.
In recent years, American authorities have faced a steady flow of asylum claims from foreign nationals alleging political persecution abroad, including claims linked to separatist narratives.
Indian officials have repeatedly maintained that there is no state-sponsored political repression in Punjab and that such claims misrepresent ground realities.
New Delhi has also flagged concerns over individuals facing criminal charges in India allegedly misusing asylum systems overseas — an issue that could be indirectly affected as Washington narrows the scope for asylum-based entry.
(IANS)
