24 Hours After Replacing Sessions, Whitaker Ends Asylum For Illegals At Southern Border

BY CILLIAN ZEAL
Western Journal
Nov. 10, 2018

Matthew Whitaker's tenure as acting attorney general may only be able to be measured in hours, but he's already made a huge impact in how asylum-seekers are processed at the southern border.

According to a new interim final rule from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, those who enter the country illegally and are captured will no longer be able to claim asylum and will instead be returned to their country of origin on an expedited basis.

"Consistent with our immigration laws, the President has the broad authority to suspend or restrict the entry of aliens into the United States if he determines it to be in the national interest to do so," Whitaker said in a joint statement with DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

"Today's rule applies this important principle to aliens who violate such a suspension or restriction regarding the southern border imposed by the President by invoking an express authority provided by Congress to restrict eligibility for asylum.

"Our asylum system is overwhelmed with too many meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources, preventing us from being able to expeditiously grant asylum to those who truly deserve it. Today, we are using the authority granted to us by Congress to bar aliens who violate a Presidential suspension of entry or other restriction from asylum eligibility."

Read More