Asylumist
asylumist.bsky.social
Asylumist
@asylumist.bsky.social
Jason Dzubow; Asylum Attorney in Washington, DC; immigration law; blogger (Asylumist.com)
Let’s Meet the New Temporary Immigration Judges

The Trump Administration’s plan to appoint 600 Temporary Immigration Judges to help address the 3.5-million case backlog in Immigration Court. The new judges are all lawyers with the U.S. military. www.asylumist.com/2025/11/12/l...
Let’s Meet the New Temporary Immigration Judges
Perhaps you’ve heard about the Trump Administration’s plan to appoint 600 Temporary Immigration Judges to help address the 3.5-million case backlog in Immigration Court. As far as we kn…
www.asylumist.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
USCIS Restricts Work Permits for #asylum Seekers

The Agency has ended automatic extensions for work permit renewals. Here's what you can do about it. www.asylumist.com/2025/11/05/u...
USCIS Restricts Work Permits for Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers are eligible for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) while their application is pending. Although EADs are issued for 5 years, most applicants need to renew their employment a…
www.asylumist.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Trump-Proofing Your Asylum Application (Part 2)

Let's talk about some ways the government is trying to prevent applicants from receiving #asylum in the United States. www.asylumist.com/2025/10/29/t...
Trump-Proofing Your Asylum Application (Part 2)
Last time, we discussed how standards of evidence have become more challenging under the Trump Administration. Here, we’ll talk about some other ways the government is trying to prevent appli…
www.asylumist.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Trump-Proofing Your Asylum Application (Part 1)

Since the advent of the Trump Administration, it has been getting more and more difficult to win #asylum. Here, we'll discuss how you can best prepare an asylum application during these challenging times. www.asylumist.com/2025/10/22/t...
Trump-Proofing Your Asylum Application (Part 1)
Since the advent of the Trump Administration, it has been getting more and more difficult to win asylum. Decision-makers in court and at the Asylum Office are more suspicious of fraud, have higher …
www.asylumist.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The Asylum Trap: Could Your Case Be Dismissed for Failure to Pay the $100 Annual Fee?

If you have a pending #asylum application at the Asylum Office, the Immigration Court or the BIA, what should you do to protect yourself? www.asylumist.com/2025/10/08/t...
The Asylum Trap: Could Your Case Be Dismissed for Failure to Pay the $100 Annual Fee?
The Roman Emperor Caligula had a habit of frequently changing statutes and penalties during his reign. When people complained that they needed to know the law in order to avoid the punishments, Cal…
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October 8, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Violence, Terror, and Hypocrisy: The Dallas #ice Shooting

Does anti-ICE rhetoric contribute to increased violence in our country? www.asylumist.com/2025/10/01/v...
Violence, Terror, and Hypocrisy: The Dallas ICE Shooting
Last week, a 29-year-old man opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas. One detained migrant was killed and two others were injured. The shooter died of a self-inflicted wound. DHS quickly co…
www.asylumist.com
October 1, 2025 at 8:27 PM
The Latest Bad News (and a Few Silver Linings)

Two decisions from earlier this month–one from the Board of Immigration Appeals and another from the U.S. Supreme Court--stand out as particularly pernicious and will potentially harm millions of people.#asylumseekers www.asylumist.com/2025/09/17/t...
The Latest Bad News (and a Few Silver Linings)
It’s not easy these days to find good news in immigration world. Families torn apart, Constitutional protections under siege, humanitarian migrants sent to random third countries, work places…
www.asylumist.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Freedom Isn’t Free – It’s Very Expensive

#uscis and #EOIR have dramatically increased fees for many applications, making it harder for non-citizens to obtain status in the U.S. and harming the non-profits that assist them. www.asylumist.com/2025/09/10/f...
Freedom Isn’t Free – It’s Very Expensive
By now, you’ve probably heard that USCIS and EOIR (the Executive Office for Immigration Review – the office that oversees our nation’s Immigration Courts) have dramatically increa…
www.asylumist.com
September 10, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Do You Have a Pulse? Congratulations! You’re Qualified to be an Immigration Judge!

A new rule has substantially relaxed the requirements for serving as a Temporary Immigration Judge.

Also, we're now calling them "aliens" instead of "noncitizens." #EOIR

www.asylumist.com/2025/09/03/d...
Do You Have a Pulse? Congratulations! You’re Qualified to be an Immigration Judge!
A new final rule from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the office that oversees our nation’s Immigration Court system, has substantially relaxed the requirements for servin…
www.asylumist.com
September 3, 2025 at 11:17 AM
The USCIS Thought Police and How “Wrong” Thinking Can Get You Deported

Here are the top 10 anti-American and antisemitic ideologies that can kibosh your immigration application with #USCIS. www.asylumist.com/2025/08/27/t...
The USCIS Thought Police and How “Wrong” Thinking Can Get You Deported
A new memo from USCIS states that anti-American and antisemitic ideologies are a basis to deny most types of immigration applications, including asylum. The meaning of these terms is vague (at best…
www.asylumist.com
August 27, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Dishonest State Department Reports Seek to Undermine Asylum Claims

Immigration Judges and Asylum Officers rely on these Reports to make their decisions, and when the Reports minimize human rights abuses, it becomes more difficult to obtain #asylum. www.asylumist.com/2025/08/14/d...
Dishonest State Department Reports Seek to Undermine Asylum Claims
For me, the worst part about the Trump Administration’s immigration policies is not that they are detaining and deporting more people, or that they are changing the rules to make immigration …
www.asylumist.com
August 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Green Card Interviews for Asylees – or – The End of the “Pause”

A new memo from #uscis clarifies when a Green Card interview is required, and seems to signal an end to the "pause" on Green Card processing for asylees and refugees. www.asylumist.com/2025/08/06/g...
Green Card Interviews for Asylees – or – The End of the “Pause”
Perhaps you’ve heard the rumors–reported in the press but never verified by USCIS–about a “pause” on Green Cards for asylees and refugees. While the exact details of t…
www.asylumist.com
August 6, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Female Asylum Seekers Need Not Apply

A new decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals seeks to restrict the ability of women to obtain #asylum on account of gender-based harm. www.asylumist.com/2025/07/30/f...
Female Asylum Seekers Need Not Apply
A new decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) seeks to restrict the ability of women to obtain asylum on account of gender-based harm. See Matter of K-E-S-G-, 29 I&N Dec. 145 (BIA 20…
www.asylumist.com
July 30, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Should I Stay or Should I Go? On the Morality of Working in Immigration Enforcement

For employees of #ice, #DHS, #DOJ, #uscis, and other immigration enforcement agencies, is it possible to continue in the job and still be a moral person? www.asylumist.com/2025/07/23/s...
Should I Stay or Should I Go? On the Morality of Working in Immigration Enforcement
The case of Adam Boyd, an ICE attorney who resigned for “moral” reasons has recently gotten some attention. Mr. Boyd noted that “We still need good attorneys at ICE. There are dru…
www.asylumist.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:12 AM
The One Big Beautiful Bill and Asylum

Here, we will discuss some of the changes in the OBBB and how they may affect #asylum seekers. www.asylumist.com/2025/07/08/t...
The One Big Beautiful Bill and Asylum
Last week, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. The law dramatically increases funding for ICE, immigration detention, and border securit…
www.asylumist.com
July 8, 2025 at 7:59 PM
More Court Chaos: The DHS Push to Re-Open Closed Cases

DHS is re-opening hundreds of thousands of old Immigration Court cases. Here, we will discuss what is happening and what to do if you currently have an administratively closed case. www.asylumist.com/2025/07/02/m...
More Court Chaos: The DHS Push to Re-Open Closed Cases
In my office, we’ve recently been receiving motions from DHS (the prosecutor in Immigration Court) asking to reopen administratively closed cases and place them on the court’s active do…
www.asylumist.com
July 2, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Cancellation of Removal: An Alternative for Some #asylum Seekers

Asylum seekers who have been in the U.S. for 10+ years and who have certain U.S. citizen or LPR family members may be eligible for Cancellation of Removal, which allows you to get a Green Card. www.asylumist.com/2025/06/25/c...
Cancellation of Removal: An Alternative for Some Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers and other non-citizens who have been in the United States for 10+ years and who have certain U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident family members may be eligible for Cancellation…
www.asylumist.com
June 25, 2025 at 10:09 AM
I’m With the Banned

Last week, President Trump announced a new travel ban on foreign nationals from 19 different countries. Here, we’ll look at the effects of the ban, with a particular focus on #asylum seekers and asylees. www.asylumist.com/2025/06/11/i...
I’m With the Banned
Last week, President Trump announced a new travel ban on foreign nationals from 19 different countries. Here, we’ll look at the effects of the ban, with a particular focus on asylum seekers and asy…
www.asylumist.com
June 11, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Arrested in Immigration Court

Recently, there have been numerous reports about ICE detaining people at their Immigration Court hearings. Here, we will look at what is happening, who is at risk, and what you can do to try to protect yourself. www.asylumist.com/2025/06/04/a...
Arrested in Immigration Court
Recently, there have been numerous reports about ICE appearing in Immigration Courts across the United States and detaining people at their hearings. It’s another way the Trump Administration…
www.asylumist.com
June 4, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Immigration Court Data: More Asylum Decisions, More Asylum Denials

In March 2025, Immigration Judges adjudicated 10,933 #asylum applications, which is the most cases ever decided in a single month. Of those, 76% were denied–another record. www.asylumist.com/2025/05/21/i...
Immigration Court Data: More Asylum Decisions, More Asylum Denials
The latest data from our nation’s Immigration Courts reveals that judges are deciding more asylum cases than ever–and that denial rates are increasing. The most recent numbers are from …
www.asylumist.com
May 21, 2025 at 10:51 AM
The Time to Prepare for Your Asylum Interview Is Now

Since it is not possible to know when you might be scheduled for an #asylum interview, or how much advanced notice you will have before the interview, the best approach is to get ready now. www.asylumist.com/2025/05/14/t...
The Time to Prepare for Your Asylum Interview Is Now
Asylum Offices around the country have become very busy. Oldest and newest cases, cases that were previously before the Immigration Court, and sometimes seemingly random cases are being scheduled f…
www.asylumist.com
May 14, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Immigration Court to Asylum Seekers: “Explain Yourself or Die!”

A new policy allows Immigration Judges to “pretermit” (deny) #asylum cases without a hearing if the applicant has failed to state a claim for protection. www.asylumist.com/2025/04/30/i...
Immigration Court to Asylum Seekers: “Explain Yourself or Die!”
A new Memo from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR, the office that oversees our nation’s Immigration Courts) allows Immigration Judges to “pretermit” (deny) asylum…
www.asylumist.com
April 30, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Climate #Refugees: Environmental and Immigration Law Under the Trump Administration

Although it is the single largest contributor to #ClimateChange, the United States has offered no meaningful method of relocation from climate disasters. www.asylumist.com/2025/04/23/c...
Climate Refugees: Environmental and Immigration Law Under the Trump Administration
This post is by Shelby Negosian, a third year student at Washington University in St. Louis, who is studying Environmental Analysis with a double minor in Legal Studies and Geospatial Science. She …
www.asylumist.com
April 23, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Asylum Fraud Is Real, But It’s Not What You Think

The most pervasive and dangerous fraud comes not from #asylum seekers, but from an unexpected source: the Asylum Office itself. www.asylumist.com/2025/04/09/a...
Asylum Fraud Is Real, But It’s Not What You Think
Since he entered politics, our President has denigrated asylum seekers as fraudsters who game the system in an effort to harm hard-working Americans. Having practiced in this area for more than two…
www.asylumist.com
April 9, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Targeting Pro-Palestinian Students (and Why That’s Bad for the Jews)

Under an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Trump Administration has been targeting pro-Palestinian activists for deportation. www.asylumist.com/2025/04/02/t...
Targeting Pro-Palestinian Students (and Why That’s Bad for the Jews)
The Trump Administration has been targeting pro-Palestinian activists under an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which provides, “An alien whose presence or acti…
www.asylumist.com
April 2, 2025 at 11:18 AM