President Trump was elected in part because of his promise to overhaul immigration in America, cracking down on people
who cross the border illegally and ramping up deportations across the country.
Nearly a year into his first term, his overhaul has been swift and dramatic, reshaping American families and
communities. In the past week, after the shooting of two National Guard troops by an asylum recipient from Afghanistan,
Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration pathways has escalated further.
Earlier this year, I asked for your questions about immigration, and you had hundreds. Today, I’m bringing you
up-to-date answers from colleagues who cover immigration and more from all over the country — and the world.
Is seeking asylum no longer applicable when entering the U.S.? — Maureen Mercury, Palm Desert, Calif.
Hamed Aleaziz, who covers federal immigration policy, says:
On the first day of his presidency, President Trump moved to reduce access to asylum by barring migrants who crossed the
border illegally from being eligible for it. The order was challenged in court, and it has been partially blocked.
But Trump went even further this past week by pausing all asylum applications filed by migrants inside the U.S. with the
Department of Homeland Security. As of June, the agency had more than 1.5 million pending asylum applications.
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