Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security is asking courts to dismiss certain asylum claims without full U.S. hearings and to send applicants to pursue protection in other nations.
- The approach relies on existing ‘safe third country’ arrangements with Ecuador, Honduras and Uganda, regardless of whether migrants have ties to those countries.
- A senior administration official said asylum was not intended as a backdoor to choose a destination and argued opponents should seek changes through Congress if they disagree.
- Immigration advocates warn the plan would erode humanitarian protections, with attorneys saying it is designed to speed removals by clearing immigration court dockets.
- The article notes nearly 900,000 asylum cases were pending at EOIR in FY2024 and frames the move as part of a broader effort to restrict immigration, including a reported goal of one million deportations per year.