Current asylum policies

The US has always been characterized as a first world country that offers international protection to vulnerable communities through political asylum or refuge.

It is the destiny of thousands of immigrants who try to flee from the danger of their countries, whether because of political persecution, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, domestic violence, abuse, inter alia.

However, even though the US is recognized for welcoming people who need it most, the Trump administration has considerably increased restrictions and requirements for political asylum applications.

Let’s see some examples:

1. 1. In early 2019, the Trump administration signed an agreement with the Mexican government called the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), also known as “Remain in Mexico”.
      Broadly speaking, this policy states that asylum seekers must remain in Mexico while awaiting a response to their applications or until they have a hearing with a local judge.
      They live in temporary shelters or foundations, usually overcrowded, and survive on donations from surrounding communities and immigrant rights advocates.
      Nowadays, with the arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic, their health is at risk and face-to-face hearings are substantially behind schedule.
   2. In early July 2020, the Trump administration announced a new rule for asylum seekers, which states that border forces can reject applications if immigrants could pose a threat to the health of the American population.
      It means that, if asylum seekers have any symptoms related to a pandemic virus or a disease easily transmitted by human contact, their immigration applications could be denied.
   3. The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), which is the branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in charge of processing immigration applications, recently stated that as of October 2, 2020, asylum seekers must pay $50.
      This makes the US one of only four countries in the world that charge for political asylum or refuge.

As a result, the Trump administration has significantly modified the process established for asylum applications. In addition to that, the current juncture also contributed to increase restrictions.

Do you need to apply for political asylum in the US?  Don’t hesitate to follow experts’ advice, contact Motion Law Immigration today!

Missing information in immigration records

A recent report by The Union-Tribute shows that immigration records from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) are not always complete.

The report states that there are more than 1 million immigration cases affected by the lack of information in the records of the federal agencies in charge of the immigration processes in the US.

The main findings show that official records do not have important details such as:

• If immigrants were already living in the US before applying for political asylum.
• What was the situation of immigrants before applying for asylum or refuge.
• Immigrants’ gender.
• If immigrants are already hold a Green Card or permanent residence.
• If immigrants have an immigration attorney or a trusted sponsor.

Motion Law keeps you up to date with the latest immigration news, visit our Blog section.

A possible solution

It is true that the responsibility for keeping immigration records up to date lies with the federal agencies in charge of processing applications. However, immigration applications are incomplete on many occasions, making it difficult for records to be complete.

Therefore, a possible solution is for immigrants to make sure to fill in every space on the forms. The best alternative to fill out the forms correctly is to have the help of experts in immigration matters.

In addition to that, some processes have been considerably modified due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, thus, it is best to follow the advice of specialists who are up to date with current immigration policies.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.