Council and Partners Call on ICE and USCIS to Eliminate Delays for Detained Asylum Seekers

The American Immigration Council and partner legal service organizations sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with examples of how delays in credible and reasonable fear interviews at detention centers around the country prolonged the detention of many asylum seekers. The letter called on the agencies to ensure prompt interviews, results, and communication about the credible fear process, and on ICE to release individuals when this level of service is not possible. The letter follows up on a June 28, 2021 letter to the agencies which described a variety of due process barriers faced by detained asylum seekers in expedited removal.