New Trump rule could put refugees on 10-day countdown clock to stay in the US

Refugees facing loss of their protected status will have only 10 days, down from 30, to contest the decision, under a rule the Trump administration announced Tuesday and put into force Wednesday. Advocacy groups warn that the shortened window leaves people exposed to deportation to the countries they escaped. Federal law usually calls for public comment before major policy shifts, but U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services skipped that step, according to The Independent.

The Department of Homeland Security says the Biden administration loosened vetting standards, leaving a record too thin to justify admitting most refugees who arrived in Minnesota during those years. It argues that some may not have been properly identified and could threaten public safety. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah of Global Refuge counters that vetting already takes months or years, and that ten days is far too short to hire a lawyer and gather records. Notices may also arrive late. Laurie Ball Cooper of the International Refugee Assistance Project calls the process window-dressing, and Naomi Steinberg of HIAS says it undermines the idea of permanent protection.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →