Overview
- Internal government data show ICE attorneys filed more than 8,000 pretermit motions by early December across immigration courts nationwide.
- Recent motions ask judges to order removals to Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Uganda, which would nullify U.S. asylum claims if granted absent appeals.
- Immigration lawyers report last-minute filings that force clients to present evidence about unfamiliar countries, and some judges have denied the government’s requests.
- DHS says the effort relies on lawful bilateral arrangements and aims to reduce the asylum backlog and abuse while ensuring hearings before immigration judges.
- Advocacy groups, including the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, are challenging the strategy and the cited regulations in court, leaving outcomes unresolved.