In a dramatic escalation of its hardline immigration stance, the Trump administration has unveiled plans to effectively bar migrants who cross the US-Mexico border illegally from claiming asylum.
The sweeping new rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Justice Department, represents one of the most significant attempts to rewrite US asylum law and deter the mass migration of Central American families arriving at the southern border.
A Radical Shift in Asylum Protocol
Under the new protocol, which is expected to face immediate legal challenges, migrants who enter the United States unlawfully will be declared "ineligible for asylum." This move aims to funnel all asylum claims through official ports of entry, though critics argue these ports are already overwhelmed and ill-equipped to process large numbers.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen stated the proclamation was a necessary response to what the administration calls a "crisis at our southern border," citing system overload from a surge of migrants, many of them families and unaccompanied children.
Legal Challenges and Humanitarian Concerns
The policy is almost certain to be contested in federal courts. Legal experts and immigrant rights groups argue it directly violates the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and international law, which stipulate that a person is entitled to apply for asylum whether they entered the country legally or not.
Human rights organisations have condemned the move, warning it will force vulnerable individuals and families fleeing extreme violence and poverty into even more dangerous situations, potentially violating America's long-standing role as a refuge for the persecuted.
The new rule is the latest in a series of aggressive measures by the administration to curb immigration, including the controversial "zero-tolerance" policy that resulted in family separations earlier this year.
