Posted on Sep 1, 2020
'Poppycock!' Federal Judge Bars CBP Employees From Screening Asylum-Seekers
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents lack the training to take over the initial processing of asylum claims, a federal judge wrote in a ruling filed Monday.
For nearly 20 years, officers from Citizenship and Immigration Services have conducted all interviews with asylum-seekers and made what are called "credible fear determinations" for those who arrive at the nation's borders while fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution.
But in January, Department of Homeland Security officials issued a memorandum delegating authority from CIS to Customs and Border Protection to allow CBP agents to handle the early screenings, arguing that their training was comparable to that of CIS. CBP and CIS are both agencies within the department.
"Poppycock!" U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote in his opinion blocking CBP from conducting the interviews of asylum seekers.
Leon was not swayed by the Trump administration's argument that CBP and Border Patrol employees are adequately qualified to determine which asylum cases deserve to move forward.
For nearly 20 years, officers from Citizenship and Immigration Services have conducted all interviews with asylum-seekers and made what are called "credible fear determinations" for those who arrive at the nation's borders while fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution.
But in January, Department of Homeland Security officials issued a memorandum delegating authority from CIS to Customs and Border Protection to allow CBP agents to handle the early screenings, arguing that their training was comparable to that of CIS. CBP and CIS are both agencies within the department.
"Poppycock!" U.S. District Judge Richard Leon wrote in his opinion blocking CBP from conducting the interviews of asylum seekers.
Leon was not swayed by the Trump administration's argument that CBP and Border Patrol employees are adequately qualified to determine which asylum cases deserve to move forward.
'Poppycock!' Federal Judge Bars CBP Employees From Screening Asylum-Seekers
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: Training Law Immigration US Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Posted >1 y ago
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Posted >1 y ago
This is why we need more Federal Judges. Everybody deserves a fair impartial legal determination made by trained and experienced legal judge.
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Posted >1 y ago
It seems the largest problem is it is a conflict in focus for the job. The group whose job it is to keep illegal immigrants out of the country cannot credibly turn that off and become an impartial advocate, judging if they should be let in anyway due to other circumstances.
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Posted >1 y ago
Thank you for the news share from NPR shipmate PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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