The United States has announced a new asylum policy that will affect Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking protection in the country, as authorities move to speed up the handling of asylum cases and reduce the growing backlog.
The new measure, introduced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, following a directive from the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, allows certain asylum applications to be referred directly to immigration judges without applicants first undergoing an interview with asylum officers.
Under the current process, USCIS is responsible for handling affirmative asylum applications submitted by individuals who are not facing removal proceedings. Meanwhile, immigration judges under the Department of Justice determine defensive asylum claims involving people already in removal proceedings.
Depending on an applicant’s immigration status, USCIS may either approve an asylum request or transfer the case to an immigration judge for further consideration. In many instances, cases referred to the court system receive another review, effectively giving applicants an additional opportunity to pursue asylum.
With the new interim rule now in place, USCIS can forward eligible asylum applications to immigration judges without conducting the initial interview. The agency believes this change will shorten processing times for both asylum officers and immigration courts while helping to clear thousands of pending cases.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the asylum process has, over the years, been misused by some individuals seeking to delay immigration proceedings or obtain work authorization rather than genuine protection.
He explained that the asylum system was created to protect people facing real threats of persecution and said the new policy would help ensure government resources are focused on legitimate claims instead of being stretched by applications filed for other purposes.
Also speaking on the development, DHS General Counsel James Percival said prolonged immigration cases have become one of the major challenges affecting enforcement efforts. He argued that deliberate delays by some undocumented migrants and their legal representatives have slowed the immigration process and made enforcement more difficult.
According to Percival, the department is committed to improving the efficiency of the immigration system and implementing policies that align with the administration’s enforcement priorities. He said the new rule is expected to contribute to that objective.
The policy has taken effect immediately. However, USCIS will continue to receive public comments on the interim rule before releasing a final version that takes stakeholders’ feedback into account.
