Trump admin drops asylum interview rule, sends cases to court

The Trump administration announced a major change to the U.S. asylum process on Monday, July 27, 2026, allowing immigration officials to bypass interviews and send applicants directly to immigration court. The Department of Homeland Security said the new rule, which took effect immediately, is intended to reduce a massive backlog of over 1.4 million pending asylum cases.

Under the interim final rule, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers can now refer certain affirmative asylum applications-those filed by individuals not already in deportation proceedings-to immigration judges without first conducting an interview. The agency also removed regulatory language that previously referenced an applicant's right to an interview. Officials estimate the change could affect approximately 444,724 pending cases and lead to over 132,000 applicants per year being sent directly to court without an interview.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that the asylum system has long been exploited for purposes of delay and to obtain work authorization, rather than for legitimate protection claims. He said the rule will help ensure resources are directed toward the timely...