Board of Immigration Appeals Restructured Under New EOIR Rule
EOIR published an interim final rule (IFR) that reduces the size of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) from 28 to 15 members, effective today.
The Board published its decision in Matter of O–A–R–G–, et al., which held that claims based on “former” status in a particular social group (PSG) must show that harm was motivated by that status itself, not by past conduct, and concluded that the respondent—a former Colombian police officer—did not meet the standards for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture.
Late last month, media reports indicated that USCIS had halted the processing of green card applications for asylees and refugees.
The Seattle Times reports that a federal judge in Seattle just told the Trump Administration it has to actually follow through on bringing in refugees who were approved for resettlement before Inauguration Day. The judge had already issued an order back in February, but the Administration was accused of dodging it—reinstating agreements with resettlement agencies only to suspend them right after. Now the court is requiring a detailed plan with deadlines and regular updates to make sure the government sticks to its word
