Trump Signs Order Limiting Migrant Asylum at U.S.-Mexico Border
Reuters, November 9, 2018
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that effectively will suspend the granting of asylum to migrants who cross the U.S. border with Mexico illegally for up to 90 days.
The order, which goes into effect on Saturday, means that migrants will have to present themselves at U.S. ports of entry to qualify for asylum. Immigrant advocates say the administration has deliberately slowed the processing of migrants at official ports, forcing them to wait for days or weeks to request protection.
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Trump’s order will be in effect for 90 days or until the United States reaches an agreement with Mexico allowing it to turn back asylum-seekers who had traveled through Mexico, whichever comes first.
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The plan, which invokes the same authority Trump used to justify his travel ban on citizens of several Muslim-majority nations, is likely to be quickly challenged in court.
Pro-immigrant groups have denounced the administration’s plan, arguing it contravenes existing U.S. law and unfairly restricts asylum protections for those fleeing persecution and violence.
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[Editor’s Note: The full proclamation can be read here.]
