Asylum and Refugee Policy: Legal Framework and Processing Challenges

This report examines the legal framework for asylum and refugee protection in the United States, including the Refugee Act of 1980, the asylum provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and international obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

The report discusses the asylum application process, including affirmative and defensive asylum procedures, credible fear and reasonable fear screenings, and the expedited removal process. It analyzes the asylum case backlog, immigration court processing times, and recent regulatory changes to asylum eligibility criteria.

Policy considerations include refugee admissions ceilings, the resettlement program, the impact of safe third country agreements, temporary protected status designations, and proposals to reform the asylum system to address both protection needs and processing efficiency.