Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Asylum Ban at the Southern Border

A major win for asylum seekers.

On April 24, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that President Trump’s executive order suspending asylum access at the southern border is illegal. The three-judge panel held that the Immigration and Nationality Act gives people the right to apply for asylum at the border, and that the president cannot replace that right with “procedures of his own making.”

What changes today.

Until this ruling, individuals arriving at the southern border were largely turned away without any chance to file an asylum claim. With the executive order blocked, the statutory asylum process — credible fear interviews, applications for asylum and withholding of removal, and anti-torture protections under the Convention Against Torture — comes back online for people in those circumstances. The administration is expected to seek Supreme Court review, but for now the process is open.

If you have a family member at the border, or a fear-based claim.

Asylum cases are time-sensitive, fact-heavy, and one-shot in many ways. Submitting a strong application the first time matters far more than trying to refile later. Country conditions evidence, sworn declarations, and corroborating documents all need to be assembled carefully.

We can help.

We represent asylum seekers from around the world before USCIS and the Boston Immigration Court. If you or a family member has a pending claim, an upcoming credible fear interview, or a fear of returning to your home country, please reach out.

Need help? Contact Vartanian Law Firm for a confidential consultation.

Source: NPR — Appeals court rules Trump's asylum ban at southern border is illegal