Government decisions on immigration during the pandemic 

It is well known that most borders around the world are currently closed to prevent the import and export of the Coronavirus.

President Trump decided to suspend the entry of immigrants to the country, as well as applications for asylum and refuge until public health is no longer at risk.

In fact, the latest reports show that the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has approved only two asylum requests since March, 2020.

These two approved applications were emergency cases that fulfilled the necessary requirements to be exempt from current immigration policies.

What about immigrants who want to apply for asylum now?

Any immigrant currently arriving at the borders to apply for asylum or refuge in the US faces two possibilities:

1. Due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, any immigrant currently arriving at the borders will most likely be deported almost immediately.
   The current government accelerated deportation processes to prevent more immigrants from entering the country and to prevent a massive spread among immigrant communities around the country.
   They are normally deported to Central American countries like Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador or Mexico.
2. Since immigrants arriving at the borders to apply for asylum are undocumented and do not have a legal entry and residence permit in the US, they are often taken to Immigration Detention Centers around the country.
   This option is not widely used at the moment because the government is trying to prevent these centers from being overcrowded, saturating medical supplies and health personnel.

Thus, immigrants who wish to apply for asylum or refuge are at double risk if they currently reach the borders.

What about active and pending asylum applications?

Because USCIS offices remain closed due to the pandemic and face-to-face services have been delayed, immigrants who are awaiting a response to their political asylum cases must now wait longer than normal.

These cases are accumulating more and more and this can generate negative repercussions for the country due to several aspects:

• Although positive cases have been reported already, immigration detention centers are not prepared for an even bigger Coronavirus outbreak at their facilities.
  Therefore, asylum seekers held there and federal employees are facing a major threat because they must wait until the USCIS offices reopen to resolve their immigration cases.
• Since USCIS services are delayed, workers have more workload due to the accumulation of asylum cases.
• Asylum is aimed at immigrants who must flee from imminent danger in their countries. Therefore, depriving this option to those who really need is an offense to international human rights and goes against the values of the US.

Due to the fact that several complaints have been filed from communities of immigrant rights advocates, multiple legislators around the country, and several judges, the US Supreme Court must make a decision regarding asylum claims.

Very soon, the opportunity to apply for asylum and refuge in the country will be a door of hope for thousands of immigrants.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.