Thousands of asylum seekers and refugees at the U.S. border could be turned away before having the ability to plead their case in court under a new Trump administration policy.
Under new guidance given Wednesday, officers who interview asylum seekers at U.S. borders and evaluate refugee applications will immediately reject those making claims based on fear of gang violence and domestic abuse, according to a CNN analysis of the guidance.
The guidance also instructed officers to consider if the immigrant crossed the border illegally when weighing in on their claim for asylum, which could lead to asylum seekers and refugees with legitimate fears of persecution to be turned away if they crossed the border illegally.
Advocates have already pushed back on this new policy, arguing that international law clearly states asylum claims are valid even if they illegally entered a country to which they fled.
The announcement of this new policy comes shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that gang violence and domestic abuse victims will no longer be considered for asylum. His authority as attorney general makes the decision binding for all immigration judges in the U.S.
The administration said all children under five who were separated from their families upon entry into the U.S. would be reunited with their parents by Thursday morning, showing a slight leeway of Trump’s zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration.
