Impact of Sessions’ asylum move already felt at border
6 years, 8 months ago

Impact of Sessions’ asylum move already felt at border

CNN  

Washington CNN — Immigrants are already being turned away at the border under Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recent reinterpretation of asylum law. In an unpublished opinion by the board just days after Sessions’ decision, obtained by CNN from an attorney familiar with the case, Judge Linda Wendtland wrote that a Guatemalan woman who had suffered “repugnant abuse” from her partner back home could not qualify for asylum. “Our nation’s immigration laws provide for asylum to be granted to individuals who have been persecuted, or who have a well-founded fear of persecution, on account of their membership in a ‘particular social group,’ but most victims of personal crimes do not fit this definition – no matter how vile and reprehensible the crime perpetrated against them,” a Justice Department spokesman said. “The Department of Justice remains committed to reducing violence against women and enforcing laws against domestic violence, both in the United States and around the world.” “Many petitioners aware of the low credible fear standard are able to enter the US, avoid removal and remain in the country,” Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Michael Bars said. “That’s the reality.” Immigration attorneys around the country are hurriedly gaming out plans to challenge the guidance in court, but because of the way the legal system is structured, it could take time.

Immigration Court Domestic Violence Border Asylum Judge Fear Immigrants Cnn Attorney Attorneys Garcia Martinez More People Sessions Immigration Court Canas Credible Fear  immigration  sessions  court  impact  immigrants  attorney  fear  asylum  felt  judge  attorneys  border

History of this topic

Judge strikes down Biden administration program shielding immigrant spouses from deportation
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Judge strikes down Biden administration program shielding immigrant spouses from deportation

Associated Press  

A federal judge on Thursday struck down a Biden administration policy that aimed to ease a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens. Barker ruled Thursday that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority by implementing the program and had stretched the legal interpretation of relevant immigration law “past its breaking point.” AP AUDIO: …

Migrants are rattled and unsure as deportations begin under new rule halting asylum
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Migrants are rattled and unsure as deportations begin under new rule halting asylum

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I heard that they were going to do it …

The Biden administration is planning more changes to quicken asylum processing for new migrants
10 months, 2 weeks ago

The Biden administration is planning more changes to quicken asylum processing for new migrants

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is preparing more changes to the nation’s asylum system meant to speed up processing and potential removal of migrants who continue to arrive at the southern border, an interim step as President Joe Biden continues to mull a broader executive order to crack down on border crossings that may come later this year. The broader …

Fueled by unprecedented border crossings, a record 3 million cases clog US immigration courts
1 year, 2 months ago

Fueled by unprecedented border crossings, a record 3 million cases clog US immigration courts

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Judge Christina Martyak agreed to a three-month extension, referred …

A deal on U.S. border policy is closer than it seems. Here’s how it is shaping up and what’s at stake
1 year, 3 months ago

A deal on U.S. border policy is closer than it seems. Here’s how it is shaping up and what’s at stake

LA Times  

A migrant walks along a road shadowed by the steel columns of the border wall separating Arizona and Mexico after crossing into the United States near Lukeville, Ariz. Amid grueling negotiations, the contours of a bipartisan border security and immigration deal are beginning to take shape, emerging even as Congress leaves town having failed to publicly unveil any details of …

Biden administration warns of major disruption at border if judges halt asylum rule
1 year, 4 months ago

Biden administration warns of major disruption at border if judges halt asylum rule

Associated Press  

The Biden administration on Tuesday urged an appeals court to allow sweeping new asylum restrictions to stay in place, warning that halting them would be “highly disruptive” at the border. The new restrictions made it far more difficult to qualify for asylum if a migrant didn’t first apply online or traveled through another country, such as Mexico, and didn’t seek …

Biden administration considers forcing migrant families to remain in Texas
1 year, 6 months ago

Biden administration considers forcing migrant families to remain in Texas

LA Times  

Migrants navigate around concertina wire along the banks of the Rio Grande after crossing from Mexico into the U.S. on Aug. 1 in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Biden administration is considering forcing some migrant families who enter the country without authorization to remain near the border in Texas while awaiting asylum screening, effectively limiting their ability to travel within the …

Biden administration tells judge that its new asylum rule is not a reboot of Trump’s efforts
1 year, 8 months ago

Biden administration tells judge that its new asylum rule is not a reboot of Trump’s efforts

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration argued Wednesday that its new asylum rule is different from versions put forward under President Donald Trump in a court hearing before a judge who threw out Trump’s attempts to limit asylum on the U.S.-Mexico border. President Joe Biden’s administration instituted its rule on May 11 with the expiration of a COVID-19 restriction known as …

Adult migrants are held in border facilities too long amid Biden administration policy changes, sources say
1 year, 8 months ago

Adult migrants are held in border facilities too long amid Biden administration policy changes, sources say

CNN  

CNN — President Joe Biden’s new asylum policy has contributed to migrants remaining in border facilities for more than 10 days and some for up to 30 days, multiple sources told CNN, as the administration toughens its posture on the US-Mexico border. Last week, of the more than 10,000 people in CBP custody, more than 1,000 of them had been …

US administration argues against trial in case of Trump-era family separations at border with Mexico
1 year, 9 months ago

US administration argues against trial in case of Trump-era family separations at border with Mexico

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Despite President Joe Biden’s loathing …

Photos: Uncertainty among asylum seekers at border over US rules
2 years, 3 months ago

Photos: Uncertainty among asylum seekers at border over US rules

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of asylum seekers have converged on the US border with Mexico, anticipating the lifting of pandemic-era restrictions, but there is no clear indication of what the process might be to enter the United States. People have been denied rights to seek asylum under US and international law 2.5 million times since March 2020 on grounds of preventing COVID-19 under …

US formally ends policy for asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico
3 years, 10 months ago

US formally ends policy for asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday formally ended a Trump-era immigration policy that forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. A seven-page memo by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas marked the end of the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” which returned about 70,000 asylum-seekers to Mexico from January 2019 until it was halted on President Joe …

US to expedite immigration cases of families on border
3 years, 10 months ago

US to expedite immigration cases of families on border

Associated Press  

SAN DIEGO — Families arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico will have their cases fast-tracked in immigration court, the Biden administration said Friday, less than two weeks after it said it was easing pandemic-related restrictions on seeking asylum. Immigration judges would generally decide these cases within 300 days of an initial hearing in 10 cities including New York, Los …

EXPLAINER: Is the US border with Mexico in crisis?
4 years ago

EXPLAINER: Is the US border with Mexico in crisis?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Border Patrol encountered 561 unaccompanied children on Monday, …

AP Exclusive: DOJ rescinds ‘zero tolerance’ immigration rule
4 years, 2 months ago

AP Exclusive: DOJ rescinds ‘zero tolerance’ immigration rule

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Wilkinson said the department’s principles have “long emphasized that decisions about bringing criminal charges should involve not only a determination that a federal offense has been committed and that the …

Jeff Sessions, Top DOJ Officials 'Were A Driving Force' Behind Family Separations: Report
4 years, 5 months ago

Jeff Sessions, Top DOJ Officials 'Were A Driving Force' Behind Family Separations: Report

Huff Post  

Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein and other former top Justice Department officials were instrumental in the infamous Trump administration practice of separating young undocumented immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, an inspector general’s draft report concludes. A two-year investigation by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz reportedly deems Sessions, President Donald Trump’s first attorney general, and Rosenstein, the former …

Immigration: Inside the tent courts on the US-Mexico border
5 years, 2 months ago

Immigration: Inside the tent courts on the US-Mexico border

CNN  

Brownsville, Texas CNN — In a trailer located a stone’s throw away from Mexico, a mom cradled her two young sons, a little girl sat on her dad’s lap, and a boy swung his legs, his feet unable to touch the floor. “This is unlike other video teleconferencing set ups in immigration court that the ICE trial attorney is not …

Immigration: Confusion and frustration in tent courts along the Texas border
5 years, 6 months ago

Immigration: Confusion and frustration in tent courts along the Texas border

CNN  

CNN — Lawyers and legal observers expressed confusion and frustration this week as immigration hearings ramped up at two new tent facilities along the US-Mexico border in Laredo and Brownsville, Texas. In a statement, a Customs and Border Protection official said that “because the immigration hearing facilities in Laredo and Brownsville are within CBP’s secure port of entry property, access …

Trump immigration officials defend tent courts, saying they’ll speed up asylum process
5 years, 6 months ago

Trump immigration officials defend tent courts, saying they’ll speed up asylum process

LA Times  

The new immigration tent court in this border city feels more like a detention center: barbed wire chain-link fence, metal detectors, security cameras and uniformed guards. Asylum cases can take years, but the tent courts that recently opened here and in Brownsville, Texas, were designed to reduce that to as little as 40 days, the average time it takes for …

Tent courts open as latest hurdle for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S.
5 years, 6 months ago

Tent courts open as latest hurdle for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S.

LA Times  

Honduran asylum seeker Alejandra Amador, 24, arrives at the border bridge to Laredo, Texas, before dawn with 4-year-old daughter, Nathaly, to attend her U.S. immigration court hearing at a massive new tent next to the bridge. At 4:30 a.m. Monday, 19 migrants were ushered across the dividing line of an international bridge connecting Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to Laredo, Texas, and …

Judge blocks Trump asylum restrictions at US-Mexico border
5 years, 8 months ago

Judge blocks Trump asylum restrictions at US-Mexico border

Associated Press  

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop denying asylum to anyone who transits through another country to reach the U.S. border, marking the latest legal defeat for a president waging an all-out battle to stem the flow of migrants entering from Mexico. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco on Wednesday came hours …

Judge won’t block US asylum restrictions at southern border
5 years, 8 months ago

Judge won’t block US asylum restrictions at southern border

LA Times  

FILE - In this July 17, 2019, file photo, a United States Customs and Border Protection Officer checks the documents of migrants before being taken to apply for asylum in the United States, on International Bridge 1 in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. On Wednesday, July 24, 2019, a federal judge in San Francisco will hear arguments in a challenge to the …

Trump to stop migrants claiming asylum after crossing Mexico in major border crackdown
5 years, 8 months ago

Trump to stop migrants claiming asylum after crossing Mexico in major border crackdown

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump’s administration has …

Trump admin can’t limit asylum protections for domestic and gang violence victims, judge rules
6 years, 3 months ago

Trump admin can’t limit asylum protections for domestic and gang violence victims, judge rules

CNN  

Washington CNN — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration’s policy that makes it difficult for victims fleeing domestic and gang violence to qualify for asylum in the United States and ruled that some people deported under the policy have to be returned. In a rebuke of the policy established by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Judge Emmet …

US border: Federal judge blocks Trump asylum ban for migrants crossing illegally
6 years, 4 months ago

US border: Federal judge blocks Trump asylum ban for migrants crossing illegally

CNN  

CNN — In an order laced with language accusing President Donald Trump of attempting to rewrite immigration laws, a federal judge based in San Francisco temporarily blocked the government late Monday night from denying asylum to those crossing over the southern border between ports of entry. Judge Jon S. Tigar of the US District Court for the Northern District of …

Sessions criticizes immigrants’ attorneys before immigration judges
6 years, 6 months ago

Sessions criticizes immigrants’ attorneys before immigration judges

CNN  

Falls Church, Virginia CNN — Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a new group of immigration judges Monday that it is their job to “restore the rule of law” to the immigration system over the contrary efforts of the lawyers who represent immigrants. “The law is never serviced when deceit is rewarded so that the fundamental principles of the law are …

'Turn the plane around': Judge halts deportation of mother and daughter and threatens to hold Jeff Sessions in contempt
6 years, 7 months ago

'Turn the plane around': Judge halts deportation of mother and daughter and threatens to hold Jeff Sessions in contempt

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. After being informed of the situation, Mr Sullivan …

Judge Threatens Jeff Sessions With Contempt, Orders Deported Mother and Daughter Returned to United States
6 years, 7 months ago

Judge Threatens Jeff Sessions With Contempt, Orders Deported Mother and Daughter Returned to United States

Slate  

A federal judge threatened Attorney General Jeff Sessions with contempt of court on Thursday after the government broke a promise not to deport a mother and daughter fleeing gang and domestic violence in El Salvador until the judge had a chance to rule on their case. “Turn that plane around,” U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan reportedly told the …

Trump administration to turn away far more asylum seekers at the border
6 years, 8 months ago

Trump administration to turn away far more asylum seekers at the border

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Trump administration is implementing a new asylum policy at the border that will result in potentially thousands of asylum seekers being turned away before they can plead their case in court. Under new guidance given Wednesday to the officers who interview asylum seekers at the US’ borders and evaluate refugee applications, claims based on fear of …

Judge Bars Trump Administration From Blanket Detention Of Asylum Seekers
6 years, 8 months ago

Judge Bars Trump Administration From Blanket Detention Of Asylum Seekers

Huff Post  

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee rests his hands on the window of his cell. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday to halt a silent yet dramatic shift in the way the U.S. deals with certain asylum-seekers who have presented themselves at the U.S. border. Rather than investigating asylum seekers’ requests for parole on a …

Separated Parents Are Failing Asylum Screenings Because They’re So Heartbroken
6 years, 9 months ago

Separated Parents Are Failing Asylum Screenings Because They’re So Heartbroken

Huff Post  

A Honduran woman, fleeing poverty and violence in her home country, waits along the border bridge after being denied entry into the U.S. from Mexico on June 25 at the Brownsville, Texas, crossing. Goodwin says that over half of the roughly 20 parents she spoke with on Thursday did not pass their “credible fear” interviews ― a process that determines …

Trump administration may further restrict asylum rights
6 years, 9 months ago

Trump administration may further restrict asylum rights

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Justice Department is considering a regulation that would prevent people from claiming asylum if they’re convicted of illegally entering the US, according to two sources familiar with the plans. The Immigration and Nationality Act states that anyone who arrives in the US “whether or not at a designated port of arrival” may apply for asylum if …

‘I pray they let me in’: Asylum seekers face long wait at border
6 years, 9 months ago

‘I pray they let me in’: Asylum seekers face long wait at border

Al Jazeera  

Jeff Sessions tells asylum seekers to go to official ports, but getting across the border proves difficult for many. {articleGUID} Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last week that “immigrants can go to our ports of entry if they want to claim asylum” and that “they won’t be arrested”. “It’s absolutely clear that we are slow-walking the port of entry the …

DOJ Takes First Steps Toward Indefinite Detention Of Families
6 years, 9 months ago

DOJ Takes First Steps Toward Indefinite Detention Of Families

Huff Post  

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been critical of a court settlement that limits the ability of the government to indefinitely detain immigrant families. “It cannot be done.” In addition to ending limits on the length of time kids can be locked up, the Trump administration is asking the court to make family detention centers exempt from state licensure requirements for …

Methodists, prosecutors scold Sessions over border policy
6 years, 9 months ago

Methodists, prosecutors scold Sessions over border policy

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — More than 600 members of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ church have denounced him over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy that has led to children being separated from their parents at the border. Their letter, published Monday on Medium, said the policy results in families and children being greeted “with unexpected cruelty at the doorstep of the …

Former top federal prosecutors call on Sessions to end ‘zero tolerance’ at border
6 years, 9 months ago

Former top federal prosecutors call on Sessions to end ‘zero tolerance’ at border

CNN  

CNN — A bipartisan group of more than 70 former US attorneys are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse the Trump administration’s policy of prosecuting all people who cross the border illegally, saying it is “dangerous, expensive, and inconsistent” with the values of the Justice Department. The most visible byproduct of the Trump administration’s practice, known as “zero …

Marc Short argues family separations at the border are ‘binary choice,’ but stats say otherwise
6 years, 9 months ago

Marc Short argues family separations at the border are ‘binary choice,’ but stats say otherwise

CNN  

CNN — White House legislative director Marc Short on Monday defended the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for illegal border crossings, which has led to children being separated from their parents. In his interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Short claimed the choice between separating children from their parents or allowing them into the country illegally was …

‘We enforce the law’
6 years, 9 months ago

‘We enforce the law’

Associated Press  

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday in Fort Wayne that he is simply upholding the law by implementing the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Protester Fred Gilbert, who is an activist for refugees, said, “I’ve watched this for 50 years now, and I’ve never seen kids treated the way kids are being treated now, with the ICE deportations …

Jeff Sessions put big asylum changes into the footnotes
6 years, 9 months ago

Jeff Sessions put big asylum changes into the footnotes

CNN  

Washington CNN — When Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that domestic violence and gang victims are not likely to qualify for asylum in the US, he undercut potentially tens of thousands of claims each year for people seeking protection. Sessions wrote that since “generally” asylum claims on the basis of domestic or gang violence “will not qualify for asylum,” few …

Sessions excludes domestic, gang violence from asylum claims
6 years, 9 months ago

Sessions excludes domestic, gang violence from asylum claims

Associated Press  

SAN DIEGO — Immigration judges generally cannot consider domestic and gang violence as grounds for asylum, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday in a ruling that could affect large numbers of Central Americans who have increasingly turned to the United States for protection. “The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes — such as …

US to stop granting asylum to most domestic violence survivors
6 years, 9 months ago

US to stop granting asylum to most domestic violence survivors

Al Jazeera  

Groups slam Jeff Sessions who ruled survivors of domestic abuse and gang violence will generally not qualify for asylum. Immigrant and women’s rights advocates have slammed a ruling by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that may make it nearly impossible for domestic abuse and gang violence survivors to seek asylum in the US. “Sessions’ decision is a virtual death sentence …

Trump admin drops asylum protections for domestic violence victims
6 years, 9 months ago

Trump admin drops asylum protections for domestic violence victims

CNN  

Fairfax County, Virginia CNN — The Trump administration Monday overturned asylum protections for domestic violence and gang violence victims in a ruling that could potentially prevent tens of thousands of immigrants from getting protection in the US. Related: Judge in case Sessions picked for immigrant domestic violence asylum review issued ‘clearly erroneous’ decisions, says appellate court Advocates for immigrants and …

Attorney General Denies Asylum To Victims Of Domestic Abuse, Gang Violence
6 years, 9 months ago

Attorney General Denies Asylum To Victims Of Domestic Abuse, Gang Violence

NPR  

Attorney General Denies Asylum To Victims Of Domestic Abuse, Gang Violence Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images Updated at 11:19 p.m. ET Attorney General Jeff Sessions is imposing sharp new limits on who can get asylum in the United States, ruling in a closely watched case that most migrants fleeing domestic abuse or gang violence …

Trump administration moves to block victims of gang violence and domestic abuse from claiming asylum
6 years, 9 months ago

Trump administration moves to block victims of gang violence and domestic abuse from claiming asylum

LA Times  

Gen. Jeff Sessions makes a point during his speech at the Western Conservative Summit on June 8 in Denver. Gen. Jeff Sessions has ordered immigration judges to stop granting asylum to most victims of domestic abuse and gang violence, a move that could block tens of thousands of people, especially women, from seeking refuge in America. “The mere fact that …

What Happens When Parents And Children Are Separated At The U.S.-Mexico Border
6 years, 10 months ago

What Happens When Parents And Children Are Separated At The U.S.-Mexico Border

NPR  

What Happens When Parents And Children Are Separated At The U.S.-Mexico Border With stories of family separation at the border in the news, NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Denise Gilman, the lawyer for a one woman who's in detention, thousands of miles from her two sons who crossed the border with her. AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: In the last few weeks, …

Trump calls for sweeping changes to US immigration legal process
6 years, 10 months ago

Trump calls for sweeping changes to US immigration legal process

CNN  

Washington CNN — President Donald Trump suggested in an interview that sweeping changes to what he described as a “corrupt” immigration legal system were necessary, while also questioning the need for a legal process for people apprehended trying to cross into the US illegally. At odds with Trump’s comments is his own Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has made overhauling …

Must Reads: Crackdown on immigrants takes a toll on federal judge: ‘I have presided over a process that destroys families’
6 years, 10 months ago

Must Reads: Crackdown on immigrants takes a toll on federal judge: ‘I have presided over a process that destroys families’

LA Times  

Federal Judge Robert Brack in his chambers at the U.S. “See, I have presided over a process that destroys families for a long time, and I am weary of it,” said Brack one day in his chambers in Las Cruces. “And I think we as a country are better than this.” Brack’s court in rural southern New Mexico is swollen …

Sessions Intervenes In Salvadoran Woman's Asylum Case
6 years, 10 months ago

Sessions Intervenes In Salvadoran Woman's Asylum Case

NPR  

Sessions Intervenes In Salvadoran Woman's Asylum Case Trump's administration is moving to limit who can get asylum in the U.S. Attorney General Sessions has intervened in a Carolina woman's case, questioning whether she and others deserve protection. Ms. A-B-'s case wound up before a judge in North Carolina who's become well-known for rejecting the vast majority of asylum claims he …

Sessions: Zero-tolerance policy may split families at border
6 years, 10 months ago

Sessions: Zero-tolerance policy may split families at border

Associated Press  

SAN DIEGO — A “zero-tolerance” policy toward people who enter the United States illegally may cause families to be separated while parents are prosecuted, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday. Do you have a heart?” Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting director, said there is no “blanket policy” to separate families as a way to deter others, …

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