Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Trump Proclamation Eliminating Asylum

The Supreme Court has granted review in Mullin v. RAICES, a challenge to President Trump’s proclamation completely shutting down asylum at the border.

Official response and confirmed impact

The American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigrant Justice Center, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU of the District of Columbia, and ACLU of Texas brought the federal lawsuit on behalf of a nationwide class of people barred from seeking protection in the United States under this proclamation, as well as three immigrant legal service providers, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, and the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project.

The lower federal courts ruled in the plaintiffs’ favor because the Trump administration’s action is contrary to laws enacted by Congress to ensure that people receive an opportunity to have their asylum claims heard.

Incident under investigation

The federal district court in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit both rejected the Trump administration’s unlawful proclamation barring people from seeking asylum by invoking Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and a nonexistent “invasion.”