U.S. moves to reshape and speed up asylum processing along the southern border

The Biden administration on Wednesday said it intends to reshape and speed up asylum processing along the southern border, publishing a proposed rule that would allow asylum officers, rather than the backlogged immigration courts, to adjudicate requests for U.S. humanitarian protection.

Under the new plan, asylum-seekers placed in expedited deportation proceedings would have their cases heard by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum officers if they establish credible fear of being persecuted in their home country. The USCIS officers would be permitted to grant eligible migrant adults and families asylum, which would allow them to stay in the U.S. permanently. If asylum is denied, migrants could ask an immigration judge to reconsider the case. If that is unsuccessful or no appeal is filed, migrants could be swiftly deported.