READ: Trump’s memo tightening asylum rules

President Donald Trump on Monday evening proposed sweeping changes to how the US treats asylum-seekers, including charging fees to file asylum applications and limiting access to work permits. Read Trump’s memo to the attorney general and homeland security secretary below: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 29, 2019 MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUBJECT: Additional Measures to Enhance Border Security and Restore Integrity to Our Immigration System By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to ensure the safety and territorial integrity of the United States as well as to ensure that the Nation’s immigration laws are faithfully executed, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Additionally, illicit organizations benefit financially by smuggling illegal aliens into the United States and encouraging abuse of our asylum procedures. Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, as applicable, shall take all appropriate actions to: propose regulations to ensure that aliens who receive positive fear determinations pursuant to section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ) or section 2242 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 are placed in proceedings conducted under 8 CFR 208.2 and 1208.2 or, if not eligible for asylum, are placed in proceedings conducted under 8 CFR 208.2 and 1208.2; propose regulations to ensure that, absent exceptional circumstances, all asylum applications adjudicated in immigration court proceedings receive final administrative adjudication, not including administrative appeal, within 180 days of filing, in accordance with section 208 of the INA ); propose regulations setting a fee for an asylum application not to exceed the costs of adjudicating the application, as authorized by section 208 of the INA ) and other applicable statutes, and s for an initial application for employment authorization for the period an asylum claim is pending; and propose regulations under section 208 of the INA ) and other applicable statutes to bar aliens who have entered or attempted to enter the United States unlawfully from receiving employment authorization before any applicable application for relief or protection from removal has been granted, and to ensure immediate revocation of employment authorization for aliens who are denied asylum or become subject to a final order of removal. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall reprioritize the assignment of immigration officers and any other employees of the Department as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate to improve the integrity of adjudications of credible and reasonable fear claims, to strengthen the enforcement of the immigration laws, and to ensure compliance with the law by those aliens who have final orders of removal.