Prof. Veronica Thronson Interviewed by Sahan Journal About New DHS Rule Restricting Asylum Interviews

Professor Veronica Thronson was interviewed by the Sahan Journal about a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that will put more asylum seekers into deportation proceedings without an interview. The rule adopted this past week will allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to forward certain asylum applications directly to federal immigration courts. The change impacts affirmative asylum seekers, who have applied for asylum with USCIS, compared to defensive asylum seekers who are already facing removal proceedings in court. The rule change removes references to a “right to” an interview and reframes it as optional. Legal experts say USCIS interviews have been a bedrock for the asylum process. These interviews, which require a lot of preparation and gathering evidence, allows applicants a fair chance to present their case to a USCIS officer. Prof. Thronson said the asylum interview process is long, and often traumatic and harrowing for applicants. But it is important for establishing one’s fear of persecution. She said, “The beauty of the affirmative application process is that it’s non-adversarial. You are sitting there, you are telling them your story. You are not being subject to cross-examination, you are not in a trial.”