BREAKING: Biden Administration to Revive Trump-era Rapid Asylum Screenings Under CBP Custody

For Immediate Release: January 27, 2023

EL PASO, TEXAS – The Biden administration is reportedly set to implement fast-track asylum screenings at the U.S.-Mexico border, known as “credible fear interviews” or CFIs. 

Under the Trump administration, CFIs denied over 5,000 asylum seekers a fair chance by rushing them through fast-track legal proceedings while held in detention centers.

Jennifer Babaie, Director of Advocacy and Legal Services of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, shared the following statement: 

“Two years ago, President Biden issued an executive order promising to end anti-asylum practices like credible fear interviews (CFIs) and expedited removal. In reality, he appears to be repeating his predecessor's mistake of forcing asylum seekers to go through a fundamentally flawed process without access to legal counsel and returning them to the dangers they fled. CFIs, which are conducted in the hasty expedited removal process, are inherently unfair and cruel. 

Trying to determine asylum cases for survivors of trauma at the border will not provide people with an equitable opportunity to present their requests for protections. In place of taking away resources, the Biden administration should prioritize providing legal representation at our border to vulnerable people and adding more personnel to address application backlogs.”