Most asylum seekers currently have a year to apply for asylum before they lose the ability to do so. A new draft regulation from the Justice Department will seek to set a new deadline for applying for asylum: 15 days from an immigrant’s first court hearing. Asylum seekers often first apply for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If they are denied, they are referred to the immigration court. There, they can apply for asylum directly with an immigration judge, which is where the new deadline would kick in. Applying for asylum is a complex process that requires the collection and translation of documents from around the world. Many asylum seekers struggle to even find a lawyer. The Executive Office for Immigration Review via the Federal Register
Justice Ginsburg Leaves Mostly Pro-Immigrant Legacy
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, leaves behind a legacy of defending the due process rights of immigrants and calling for more accountability for law enforcement agencies. The daughter of immigrants, Ginsburg often voted in favor of protecting immigrant rights, including the indefinite detention of immigrants and Trump’s travel ban. She provided key votes rejecting Trump’s attempts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Law 360
Trump Administration Says it Will Start Enforcing Public Charge Again
The Trump administration said Tuesday it would reimpose its “public charge” wealth test, which a federal judge blocked during the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019 rule gives federal officials the ability to deny green cards based on the income of applicants and their likelihood to use public benefits. Judge George Daniels blocked the policy’s implementation for the duration of the pandemic, but orders by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals limited and ultimately suspended his ruling, allowing the Trump administration to enforce the rule. CBS News
