The Trump administration is proposing disqualifying people from seeking asylum if they have been convicted of a range of crimes.
Federal officials say, if enacted, the rule would let them focus on asylum claims by people with clean records.
The proposed rule comes from the departments of Justice and Homeland Security. And it would block immigrants from asylum, if they’ve been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors. Asylum seekers found to have been involved with domestic violence also could be blocked, even if they weren’t convicted of a crime.
Phoenix immigration attorney Ruben L. Reyes said the proposal lacks instructions and it would likely mean more court battles.
“This is going to basically launch more lawsuits. And not for the sake of lawsuits, but for the sake of due process. For the sake of fairness. For the sake of transparency," Reyes said.
The proposal also would end automatic review of some asylum denials. The public has 30 days to comment on the plan.
