U.S. announces overhaul of asylum process to begin in late spring

The U.S. has finalized regulations it hopes will overhaul the asylum process along the southern border, the Biden administration announced Thursday, though federal officials said the plan will be initially implemented on a small scale beginning in the late spring.

President Biden's appointees have argued the long-awaited rule will accelerate the government's ability to give refuge to asylum-seekers fleeing persecution while deporting those deemed ineligible for U.S. protection. Officials hope the changes discourage migrants who do not qualify for asylum but are looking for better economic opportunities from crossing the border illegally.

A key operational change will be the authorization of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asylum officers to approve or deny requests for U.S. refuge from migrants who pass initial interviews, as opposed to transferring those claims to the nation's immigration courts, which have a backlog of over 1.7 million cases.