The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States has recently issued new guidance instructing its immigration lawyers to request early dismissal of asylum applications with legal issues before immigration judges.
According to internal guidance documents obtained by Fox News, the new directive requires lawyers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) to start filing motions for dismissal immediately, seeking to reject asylum applications that ICE lawyers believe do not meet legal standards on the surface before a full substantive merits hearing.
This move is aimed at expediting decisions on asylum applications that meet legal requirements, allowing the government to raise concerns about flawed applications early in the immigration court process.
The new guidance emphasizes the government’s focus on combating asylum fraud and holding lawyers accountable for assisting fraudulent asylum applications.
In July of this year, the government streamlined parts of the asylum application process, allowing certain applications to be submitted directly to immigration court without the need for an asylum interview beforehand. Government officials stated that this would reduce redundant reviews and help address the backlog of cases in immigration courts.
The government has also intensified its fight against asylum fraud. Several months ago, ICE announced a policy that allows for civil lawsuits against lawyers accused of aiding others in submitting fraudulent asylum applications, and sought financial penalties against a New York immigration lawyer accused of submitting a fraudulent asylum application.
Reference: This article is based on reports by FOX NEWS.