Federal Judge Orders Restart of Asylum Claim Processing

A federal judge ruled on June 5 that immigration authorities must resume processing asylum claims and requests for immigration benefits such as work permits from nationals of 39 countries. The policies had been put in place after a shooting near the White House allegedly carried out by an Afghan national.

Officials had stated that processing would not resume until enhanced vetting measures were in place.

A coalition of groups filed suit in March, arguing that the policies exceeded agency authority, were arbitrary and capricious, and violated constitutional protections. The judge found that the policies placed applicants in legal limbo based solely on country of origin and that officials failed to provide adequate explanations for the changes.

The ruling vacated the policies and two related measures, including one that required officers to treat an applicant's home country as a negative factor when reviewing benefit requests.

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services said they did not agree with the decision. Government lawyers had argued that the policies fell within authority granted by the Immigration and Naturalization Act. One plaintiff organization stated that the ruling allows affected individuals to move forward with their lives.