Happy New Year from the Trump Administration

Kevin R. Johnson

30 Dec 2025 — 1 min read

Newsweek reports that the Trump administration could deny migrants access to asylum on the grounds that they present a public health risk under a rule published in the Federal Register.

"Taking effect Wednesday, the regulation gives officials the power to block asylum for migrants who pose public health risks from communicable diseases, the Federal Register filing says. . . . The rule gives the Trump administration an additional mechanism to deny asylum to migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. The rule also builds on public health measures used during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic . . . ."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued the rule, which also "clarifies procedures for credible-fear screenings, the initial assessment that determines whether an asylum-seeker may pursue a full claim."

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Immigration Article of the Day: A Qualified Defense of Immigration Exceptionalism by Anja Bossow

From the Bookshelves: Unwelcome Shores: Black Refugees in America by Bernadette Ludwig

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