The Trump administration has undercut the U.S. asylum program. These 3 charts show how
The Trump administration has implemented new rules that make it significantly harder for immigrants to claim asylum in the U.S. By allowing asylum officers to refer more cases to immigration courts, the policy is expected to lead to a sharp increase in application denials.
Why it matters
This shift represents a major change in U.S. immigration policy, potentially ending long-standing humanitarian protections for vulnerable populations.
The Trump administration, for over a year, has chipped away at immigrants' ability to claim asylum, undercutting one of the few remaining ways for people fleeing persecution to stay in the U.S.
In the latest change this week, asylum officers could send hundreds of thousands more asylum applications to immigration courts. As a result, more asylum seekers are expected to be denied legal permission to stay in the country.
The rule affects applications filed at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the branch of the Homeland Security Department that oversees legal migration. It comes as the administration has narrowed the scope of how someone can claim asylum or be approved for it, and curbed freedoms and benefits for those waiting for an answer. Asylum approvals are now at their lowest in at least two decades.
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