New Immigration Policies May Speed Up the Asylum Application Process

 Posted on April 06, 2022 in Immigration

Immigrants come to the United States for many reasons, and in some cases, a person or family may flee from a country where their safety has been put at risk. These immigrants may seek humanitarian relief and ask to be granted permission to remain in the United States rather than being returned to a country where they are likely to suffer harm or be killed. Asylum is one of the most effective forms of humanitarian relief, and it may apply to a person who has entered the U.S. and has a credible fear that they will suffer persecution or other forms of harm if they were returned to their country of origin. 

Title 42 and Asylum Cases

Unfortunately, the ability of many immigrants to claim asylum protections has been limited in recent years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration of President Donald Trump implemented a policy known as Title 42. This rule was intended to prevent Covid infections from being spread by immigrants entering the United States, and it allowed immigration officials to expedite the removal of people who did not have the proper documentation. Since it was implemented in March 2020, Title 42 has been used to expel around 1.7 million people from the U.S.

While Title 42 has continued to be used since President Joe Biden took office, his administration recently announced that it plans to lift this rule in the near future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that as the pandemic has receded, the potential threat of infections being spread by undocumented immigrants is less of a concern, and the protections that Title 42 was intended to provide are no longer necessary. The time frame and procedures that will be followed when the rule is lifted have not yet been announced, although the changes are expected to be implemented by late May of 2022. Following the change, immigration officials expect that the number of migrants who enter the United States will increase.

More Changes to Asylum Rules and Policies to Go Into Effect

To further address the long wait times and legal hurdles that may affect immigrants who seek asylum, the administration of President Joe Biden has also announced that it will be putting new policies in place. In many cases, immigrants who seek asylum must wait for up to five years until they are able to fully resettle in the United States. The administration is seeking to reduce this wait time to around six months and provide migrants with an easier process of seeking humanitarian relief. Under the new policy, some immigrants will have their cases reviewed by asylum officers without the need to wait until they can appear in court and receive a decision from an immigration judge. The policy may also allow asylum seekers to be released into the U.S. on parole while using electronic monitoring, allowing them to integrate into the community and seek employment rather than being held in detention while their cases are ongoing.

Contact Our Irving Asylum Attorney

While the process of applying for asylum may soon be easier, immigrants who seek this form of protection will still need to meet a variety of complex legal requirements. Taking incorrect steps during this process may affect a person’s ability to receive protection from harm and resettle in the United States. At John W. Lawit, LLC, we provide representation to immigrants who are seeking humanitarian relief, ensuring that they follow the correct procedures and advocating on their behalf to make sure they will be able to live in safety. To get legal help with these issues, contact our Dallas immigration lawyer for humanitarian relief by calling 214-609-2242 today.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/30/us/politics/immigration-cdc-biden.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/us/politics/us-asylum-changes.html