USCIS Announces Rule Change to Asylum System to Reduce Backlog

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an interim final rule designed to reduce the backlog in the asylum system. The rule allows USCIS to refer asylum applications to Immigration Judges without first interviewing the applicant, aiming to shorten the total adjudication time. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated the change seeks to direct resources to legitimate claims of protection rather than those using the system as a loophole for delay or work authorization.