Refugees and Asylum Seekers
The United States has a longstanding tradition of welcoming individuals from around the world who are seeking protection and refuge. But recent U.S. policy has grown increasingly hostile toward asylum seekers and refugees. Instead of turning vulnerable individuals away, the United States should maintain its global reputation as a leader in refugee resettlement and humanitarian protection. Doing so not only upholds American values but sustains and strengthens our communities. Data from the Council shows that refugees and asylees make tremendous contributions to our economy as earners, taxpayers, and consumers. Learn more about the contributions and challenges of asylum seekers and refugees below.
Asylum in the United States
- Asylum
- May 8, 2025
Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government agencies. This fact sheet provides an overview of…
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Temporary Protected Status (TPS): An Overview
This fact sheet provides an overview of how Temporary Protected Status designations are made, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status. Read More
New USCIS Asylum Interview Rule Could Speed Up Deportations of Asylum Seekers
The Trump administration has taken another significant step toward restricting access to asylum in the United States. At the same time, it has moved to end protections such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), increasing the risk that many will be deported to countries where they may face persecution. Read More
The Use of Parole Under Immigration Law
Parole under immigration law is very different than in the criminal justice context. In the immigration context, parole facilitates certain individuals’ entry into and permission to temporarily remain in the United States. This overview explains how parole requests are considered, who may qualify, and what parole programs exist. Read More
The Asylum Turnback Case: From the First Filing to the Supreme Court
After years of jockeying through the courts, on June 25, a 6-3 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the government in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado. First filed in 2017, Al Otro Lado is the Council’s long-running litigation challenging the first Trump administration’s policy of turning back people seeking asylum as they approached ports of entry on… Read More
‘Metering’ of Asylum Seekers Is Bad Policy, Bad Law, and Bad for the Border
For years, the federal government had one, clear message for migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border: go to a port of entry and do not cross the border illegally. This message was bipartisan. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen declared in June 2018: “If you… Read More
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Strip TPS, Turn Away Asylum Seekers Arriving at the Border in Pair of New Immigration Rulings
Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued two seismic immigration law decisions, ruling 6-3 in the Trump administration’s favor in each case. The first case, Mullin v. Doe, overturns lower court decisions blocking the Trump administration’s move to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350,000 Haitians and… Read More
In Blow to Asylum Rights, Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Block Asylum Seekers at Border
The Supreme Court ruled today that the Trump administration could turn back asylum seekers at ports of entry along the southern border, and that doing so does not violate federal immigration law. The case, Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, addressed a now-defunct policy, under which immigration… Read More
The Trump Administration Stopped Processing Certain Green Card Applications. Our FOIA Found What Happened Next.
Under the second Trump administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has repeatedly paused the processing of applications for all types of immigration benefits, including applications for legal permanent residency, commonly referred to as adjustment of status or getting your green card. One of the first suspensions occurred between… Read More
Prosecuting People for Coming to the United States
Over the last two decades, the federal government increasingly has utilized the criminal courts to punish people for immigration violations. This overview provides basic information about entry-related offenses, including the significant costs incurred by the government conducting these prosecutions, the individuals who are subjected to them, and how the government’s rationale for carrying them out is not supported by the data. Read More
The Supreme Court Hears Asylum Turnback Case: What You Need to Know
The opportunity to ask for asylum is a right protected under both U.S. and international law. Yet, during the first Trump administration, border officials physically blocked hundreds of thousands of migrants from accessing ports of entry to seek asylum. Under the government’s “turnback policy” (which the government calls… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
