NYT investigation details sharp decline in asylum acceptance rates

The number of asylum seekers getting their claims accepted has plummeted nationwide under the second Trump administration.

That’s according to reporting from the New York Times that includes interviews with more than two dozen immigration judges who say they feel a "consistent sense of pressure" to deport more people or lose their jobs.

As Times reports, more than 100 of the roughly 750 immigration judges have been dismissed. About 140 permanent and temporary judges have been appointed in the wake of those firings — including former DHS prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the number of asylum seekers getting approved for protection has fallen to historic lows — with judges approving fewer than 10% of claims in February.

That decline is reflected across courts in Arizona. An analysis of federal data from the research group TRAC found judges in this state approved just 19 asylum claims out of the 365 presented in February.