FAIR Comments on Rule Designed to Encourage More Illegal Immigration and Fraudulent Asylum Claims

(June 1, 2022, Washington, D.C.) — Yesterday the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) submitted a public comment in response to an interim final rule (IFR) that is explicitly designed to facilitate the release of asylum seekers at our southern border, many of whom submit fraudulent or frivolous claims.

The Biden administration proposed a new regulation in 2021 to allow asylum officers – the most open borders contingency in the federal government – to grant full and immediate asylum at the southern border. The goal is to circumvent immigration courts so asylum officers can get to “yes” under the rules the Biden administration has written, instead of the law.

In response, FAIR filed a public comment urging them to rescind the proposed rule, and instead implement reforms that will actually discourage illegal immigration into the United States, remove incentives to submit fraudulent or frivolous asylum claims, and regain order at the southern border. They didn’t listen. Instead, the Biden administration issued an interim final rule with little deviation from their goal to allow in as many illegal aliens as possible under the guise of legality.

“Under the Biden administration, illegal immigration has soared to levels not seen in decades. Asylum abuse is rampant as the administration has shown minimal effort to protect the integrity of our legal immigration system. Instead, by proposing rules like this, they are clearly trying to dismantle immigration enforcement at the border in its entirety,” charged Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

“The need for administrative deterrence is critical given the current border crisis, specifically the sharp increase of encounters with aliens, a subsequent dramatic increase in requests for asylum relief, and the large number of meritless, fraudulent, or frivolous asylum claims that are straining the nation’s immigration system,” FAIR’s latest comment reads. “But instead of deterring fraud and abuse, the IFR will weaken the credible fear review process, resulting in a higher rate of aliens without adequate claims receiving protection from removal, which in turn, will only encourage more illegal immigration and fraudulent asylum claims.”

“FAIR urges the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to heavily weigh national security, public safety, and the overall integrity of our immigration system when drafting immigration rules. The humanitarian crisis on the border continues to serve as a threat to national security, public health, wage levels, employment security, and poses unsustainable strains on government resources. This addresses none of these things,” concluded Stein in the comment.

FAIR’s full IFR comment can be accessed here.

Contact: Preston Huennekens, 202-328-7004 or phuennekens@fairus.org