IMMIGRATION/JEFF SESSIONS: “U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Thursday [10-12-17] the policies that allow immigrants to seek asylum in the United States were broken and subject to ‘rampant abuse and fraud.’…
Overhauling the U.S. asylum system was on a list of immigration proposals the White House sent Congress over the weekend that President Donald Trump wants in exchange for a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Most of the principles, including a crackdown on the influx of Central American unaccompanied minors, are likely to be non-starters for Democrats.
Sessions did not announce any specific policy shifts in his speech but urged Congress to act…
He said there were ‘loopholes’ in the law that allow immigrants, whom federal officials determine have a ‘credible fear’ of returning to their home countries, to be released pending a hearing before a judge.
He also advocated for imposing and enforcing penalties for ‘baseless’ asylum applications, elevating the threshold standard of proof in credible fear interviews, and expanding the ability to return asylum seekers to safe third countries.
After they pass their credible fear review, many people simply disappear and never show up at their immigration hearings, Sessions said.”
-Sarah N. Lynch, “U.S. Attorney General Sessions urges crackdown on asylum policies,” Reuters, Oct. 12, 2017 07:06am