Trump Administration Moves to Limit Asylum Protections

On July 15, the Trump Administration published a new rule, Asylum Eligibility and Procedural Modifications, requiring individuals who pass through a third party country seeking to apply for asylum in the U.S. to apply for asylum in that third party country first. Under the new rules, these individuals will not be eligible to apply for asylum in the U.S. This rule will have the largest impact on those at the Southern Border, as asylum-seekers from Central America typically pass through Mexico on their way to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Under the new rule, these individuals will need to apply for asylum in Mexico. The rule has received heavy criticism, and Immigrant Rights groups in the U.S. plan to challenge its legality in court.