Trump Administration Moves to Dismiss Asylum Claims and Fast-Track Deportation of Migrants

• The Trump administration is moving to dismiss asylum claims for potentially hundreds of thousands of migrants, placing them at risk of immediate deportation
• In a stark shift from long-standing protocol, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has been granted sweeping new powers to initiate fast-track removals
• Critics warn the strategy threatens due process and could devastate communities that rely on longstanding immigrant residents

The Trump administration initiated plans to dismiss asylum claims for potentially hundreds of thousands of migrants residing in the United States, a significant escalation in its ongoing immigration enforcement efforts, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The move forms part of a broader crackdown aimed at limiting access to immigration protections.

Targeted individuals include those who entered the country unlawfully and subsequently applied for asylum, leaving them at risk of imminent deportation. Sources estimate that hundreds of thousands could be affected.

Quarter of a million applicants potentially impacted

A federal report analysing asylum applicants in 2023 revealed that approximately 25 percent of those who applied with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) self-reported unlawful entry into the country—equating to at least a quarter of a million individuals. The remaining applicants had entered through legal ports of entry using valid visas.

Under existing US legislation, individuals fearing persecution or violence in their home countries may seek asylum. Upon taking office, President Trump largely closed southern border access to asylum seekers. Presently, around 1.45 million affirmative asylum applications remain pending, federal data shows.

USCIS granted unprecedented deportation powers

In a marked departure from historical precedent, USCIS—under the Department of Homeland Security—has been granted authority by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to initiate expedited deportation proceedings and pursue civil and criminal immigration violations.

Typically, such enforcement responsibilities rest with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or US Customs and Border Protection.

USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told CNN, “USCIS’ top priority remains the screening and vetting of all aliens seeking to come, live, or work in the United States.

President Trump and Secretary Noem have given USCIS the ability to use all tools in our toolbox to ensure that the integrity of the immigration system is upheld, fraud is uncovered and expeditiously addressed, and illegal aliens are removed from the country.”

Critics voice concern over due process and policy shift

Experts and advocates have raised alarm over the administration’s strategy, warning it could deter migrants from seeking protection.

“They’re turning the agency that we think of as providing immigration benefits as an enforcement arm for ICE,” said Sarah Mehta, deputy director of government affairs for the American Civil Liberties Union’s equality division.

Migrants whose cases are dismissed under the new measures will be subject to expedited removal—a procedure allowing deportation without an immigration court hearing.

Earlier this year, Trump officials expanded the scope of fast-track deportations to include undocumented immigrants unable to demonstrate continuous US residence for two years or more.

Reports have surfaced of migrants with years of legal employment in the US receiving sudden notices of asylum case dismissal, with no formal determinations issued. The number of individuals receiving these notices remains unknown.

Union and advocacy groups oppose policy

Michael Knowles, executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 119, which represents USCIS workers, stated: “Our union opposes any policy that violates basic rights guaranteed to asylum seekers by US and International law.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an alien has the right to apply for asylum — and have due process in their pursuit of the same — whether or not they arrived at a designated port of entry, irrespective of their immigration status.”

Advocates also noted the long-term benefits of the asylum process, including its role as a pathway to citizenship.

“The government should process asylum applications – not throw them out. Every asylum seeker should have an opportunity to have their asylum case processed. These are immigrants who have been in the U.S. working legally for years and are contributing to local communities throughout the country,” said Conchita Cruz, co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project.

“Dismissing their asylum cases will hurt them, their families, employers, and communities that rely on them.”

Source: Legit.ng