Council and AILA Submit Comment on the Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings

The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) submitted comments to a Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice proposed rule that would apply certain bars to asylum during asylum seekers' credible and reasonable fear screenings. These screenings are undertaken in the expedited removal process, which is a fast-track removal process primarily applied to asylum seekers who recently arrived to the United States' border.

The comments urge the administration to reconsider and rescind this proposed rule because the expedited removal process is inadequate and inappropriate for the inherently complex legal analyses needed to apply such bars. Specifically, the comments highlight the inherent and significant due process concerns of the expedited removal process, including asylum seekers' inability to access legal representation. This fast-track removal process was established to quickly assess an asylum seeker's eligibility for asylum and not for such complex processes.

The comments also note that the proposed rule lacks sufficient protections to prevent the erroneous application of the bars, which could lead to the removal of asylum seekers in contravention of the United States' international obligations. Lastly, the comments note that a 30-day comment period is insufficient given the potential impact of the rule and its interaction with several border policy changes made by the administration within the last four years.