The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule that eviscerates the U.S. asylum system and violates our nation’s duties under domestic and international law. Moreover, the Proposed Rule will subject asylum seekers to unclear, and sometimes unlawful, standards with virtually no due process protections. This will result in chaos for asylum seekers. NWLC submitted a comment strongly opposing this Proposed Rule, stressing the following:  

  • DOJ and DHS have not provided sufficient time for the public to comment on this harmful Proposed Rule. 
  • The U.S. asylum system provides life-saving relief for individuals fleeing persecution, including survivors of gender-based violence, LGBTQ people, and HIV-positive people. 
  • The Proposed Rule would permit blanket denials of asylum claims and virtually eliminate gender as a ground for asylum. 
  • The Proposed Rule would remove critical due process protections, make longstanding legal standards more restrictive, and impose new bars, resulting in the denial of virtually all asylum applications.