Reps. McGarvey, Jayapal Demand Trump Administration Reverse Rule to Fast-Track ICE Detention and Deportation Proceedings for Asylum Seekers

Reps. McGarvey, Jayapal Demand Trump Administration Reverse Rule to Fast-Track ICE Detention and Deportation Proceedings for Asylum Seekers

Congressional Democrats say new DHS rule will push more asylum seekers into ICE detention and deportation as arrests at airports surge nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 14, 2026) - Today, Representatives Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led 69 Congressional Democrats in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) calling on the Trump administration to withdraw its new rule allowing asylum officers to reject an affirmative asylum seeker's case without an interview and refer him or her directly to immigration court for deportation proceedings.

The rule comes as ICE ramps up arrests of individuals at airports, including those with legal status or pending applications.

Last month Sarafinah Bukirwa, one of McGarvey's constituents with a valid visa and active asylum application, was detained by ICE at Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport.

"USCIS's failure to adjudicate such applications in a timely manner is now being weaponized by ICE, which, in collaboration with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is arresting individuals as they attempt to fly domestically," the Members wrote.

McGarvey and Jayapal argued eliminating these interviews - a standard practice since 1990 - will deny those arrested under the new DHS rule from receiving full and fair consideration of their case, especially for asylum seekers who've faced persecution and violence and for survivors of gender-based violence.

The Members also rejected the administration's claim that the rule would help address the asylum backlog, arguing it simply moves cases a USCIS officer could have decided into immigration courts, which already have 2.3 million pending asylum cases and keeps asylum seekers waiting in ICE detention even longer.

Instead, they called for increasing the number of asylum officers and resources for USCIS to process applications faster.

"Given the fact that Congress has given the administration $240 billion for immigration enforcement, moves like this call into question the Department's ability to deploy those additional resources responsibly," the Members continued.

Read the full letter here.

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