The union representing asylum officers is backing a federal suit against the Biden administration for its asylum restrictions at the border.
Asylum officers are employed by Citizenship and Immigration Services and conduct initial fear screenings for cases spanning migrants asking for protection at the border, to Afghans applying for asylum to stay in the U.S.
Under the Biden administration’s new policy — enacted in June — the vast majority of migrants apprehended at the border are turned away, including many who say they’re seeking asylum. Rights groups have filed suit, arguing that violates U.S. immigration statute, which states people presently in the U.S. have the right to ask for asylum, regardless of how or where they arrive.
The National Citizenship Services Council 119 — the union that represents roughly 1,500 asylum and refugee officers — filed a brief supporting that suit this week. It says the immigration system was once “carefully calibrated” to avoid returning people with genuine asylum claims back to persecution. But this policy will almost certainly remove many people who would otherwise qualify and strip them of the opportunity to raise their claims.
“‘[W]elcoming homeless refugees to [American] shores” is among “the oldest themes” in our country’s history,’” the brief reads. “But this ‘national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns,’ now comes with an asterisk: Our protection will only extend to certain refugees, depending on the time and place a refugee brings a claim for help.”
The union argues the rule’s “blanket ineligibility” to asylum seekers at the border is both ineffective and illegal. And say officers are unable to perform their jobs as a result.
