The Biden administration announced a new policy Thursday that overhauls the system for immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S.
Immigration judges will no longer hear claims.
Instead, asylum officers with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be in charge of hearing and evaluating cases.
Anyone whose application is denied could request an appeal or “reconsideration” from USCIS.
If their application is rejected again, the applicant could take their case to the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal circuit courts.
If the application is denied once again, the person would be deported.
The rule would not apply to children who arrived in the country without a parent.
The Biden administration estimates the asylum application process will be shortened to about six months; a process that usually takes about five years.
Currently, there are more than 670,000 pending cases, according to data gathered by Syracuse University researchers.
The new policy will take effect in late May or June.
