Proposed legislation seeks to reform asylum laws

Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) introduced a measure Tuesday addressing the nation’s asylum laws, establishing reforms focusing on the Southern border crisis straining Department of Homeland Security (DHS) resources, among others.

Hurd said the Asylum Reform Act of 2019 would overhaul outdated laws unable to address the current crisis. The reforms would stop widespread abuse of the current system, streamline existing processing of individuals and ensure the asylum system works for the people who need it most.

“This proposal would fix our broken asylum system that encourages illegal immigration, diverts resources from those with legitimate claims and, in many cases, actually rewards the kingpin human smugglers who thrive on its perpetuation,” Hurd, who represents 820 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, said. “Our asylum system, created in the 1980s, never could have anticipated such a large number of migrants seeking asylum. That’s why reforming our asylum laws is an essential step to address the unprecedented crisis at our border.”

Key components of the reform effort include limiting eligibility for asylum to migrants who enter the United States at a port of entry and prohibiting migrants who are arriving from a contiguous country from seeking asylum unless they have already been denied asylum or similar protection in that country. The legislation would also codify the administration’s credible fear standard used to screen migrants seeking asylum to ensure agents on the ground are evaluating the credibility of their statements when making their determination and deter frivolous asylum claims by closing loopholes and defining what is considered a frivolous asylum filing.