WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is cutting the time refugees have to challenge the termination of their legal status from 30 days to 10, under a new rule that takes effect Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
The interim final rule takes effect without the usual advance public notice-and-comment process. Its stated goal, according to the rule document cited by AP, is to mitigate potential risks linked to people who were admitted as refugees but were not eligible for refugee status.
The administration says a review of refugee processing under the previous administration found an erosion of the integrity of the program, with incomplete records and omitted screening questions. A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman made a similar claim, according to reports on the rule. Refugee advocates dispute that allegation.
The change comes as the administration reviews the cases of at least 185,000 refugees admitted during the Biden administration who still have pending green card applications, according to AP.
Refugee organizations condemned the shorter deadline. Refugee Council USA said ten days leaves refugees no meaningful time to respond, find counsel or gather evidence, and could expose people who fled persecution to deportation. The International Refugee Assistance Project and Church World Service issued similar statements, calling the rule a loss of due process protections.
Welcoming refugees has long had bipartisan support in the United States. Congress passed the Refugee Act in 1980 with overwhelming support, and refugee applications are among the most rigorously screened in the immigration system, according to AP.
Advocates say the practical effect of the change will fall on families who may receive a termination notice with little time to translate documents, obtain records from their home countries or secure a lawyer before the deadline expires.
