Legal Framework

Universal Declaration of Human Rights — Article 14

Recognizes the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries, with an exception for persons fleeing prosecution for genuine non-political crimes or acts contrary to UN principles.

Related incidents

8 incidents

Immigration Rocket Dockets: Mass Fast-Tracked Hearings and In Absentia Removal Orders

An accelerated immigration court system that fast-tracks cases through mass remote hearings, with two-thirds of all Somali cases nationwide rescheduled on short notice. The process systematically …

  • Two-thirds (66.25%) of all Somali noncitizens with open immigration court cases were scheduled for hearings with new judges on short notice, …
  • Hearings are conducted entirely remotely, with immigrants in Minnesota while judges and government attorneys are in other states. Observers …

White Afrikaner Refugee Program: 1,648 of 1,651 US Refugees Are White South Africans

The US refugee program was restructured to almost exclusively admit white South Africans based on debunked persecution claims, while setting a historic-low refugee cap and shutting down admissions for …

  • From October 2025 through January 2026, the US admitted 1,651 refugees. Of these, 1,648 — 99.8% — were from South Africa, overwhelmingly …
  • Trump set the FY2026 refugee ceiling at 7,500, the lowest in modern US history, with most places reserved for white South Africans. This …

Third-Country Deportations to Rwanda, Ghana, and South Sudan

The US paid Rwanda, Ghana, Eswatini, and South Sudan to accept deportees who are not their nationals, in deals a federal judge ruled unconstitutional. HRW called the expulsion agreements violations of …

  • Rwanda agreed to accept up to 250 deportees from the US under a deal involving approximately $7.5 million in US financial support. Eswatini …
  • US District Judge Brian Murphy ruled the third-country deportation policy violates federal immigration law and migrants' constitutional …

Rescission of ICE Sensitive Locations Policy — Churches, Schools, and Hospitals Open to Raids

The rescission of the sensitive locations policy removed decades-old protections for churches, schools, hospitals, courthouses, and shelters from immigration enforcement. The change unleashed a …

  • On January 20, 2025, the Trump administration rescinded the DHS Protected Areas policy via executive order 'Protecting the American People …
  • Arrests of people with no criminal record surged 2,450% in Trump's first year — from 6% of ICE detainees in January 2025 to 41% by December …

Indefinite Suspension of US Refugee Admissions Program and Record-Low Resettlement Cap

The administration indefinitely suspended refugee resettlement and set the lowest admissions cap in US history at 7,500, prioritizing white Afrikaners, while stranding refugees mid-transit including …

  • Executive order on January 20, 2025 indefinitely suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program effective January 27.
  • The FY 2026 refugee cap was set at 7,500 -- the lowest in US history, down from 125,000 under Biden -- with priority given to white South …

Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to Accelerate Venezuelan Deportations

The administration invoked a rarely used 1798 wartime statute to justify accelerated removals of Venezuelan nationals, including transfers into El Salvador's detention system, prompting immediate …

  • The proclamation treated Tren de Aragua activity as an 'invasion' or 'predatory incursion' under the Alien Enemies Act.
  • The government used the proclamation to argue for removals with sharply reduced individualized process.

Reimposition of 'Remain in Mexico' Migrant Protection Protocols

The administration reinstated 'Remain in Mexico,' forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexican cities that the US State Department itself rates as 'Level 4: Do Not Travel' due to kidnapping and violence. …

  • DHS reinstated MPP on January 21, 2025, forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexican border cities while their cases are processed in US …
  • MSF documented that in one border city, 75% of MPP patients had been kidnapped while waiting in Mexico under the policy.

Suspension of Asylum at the Southern Border

The administration imposed an unprecedented total ban on asylum claims at the southern border, shutting down the CBP One app and eliminating all avenues for protection. A federal judge ruled the …

  • Executive order signed January 20, 2025 suspended all asylum processing at the southern border and shut down the CBP One scheduling app.
  • The order declared an 'invasion' at the southern border and invoked emergency powers to bypass statutory asylum protections.