Attorney General Merrick Garland struck down two migrant asylum limits previously introduced by former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Matter of A-B, which was implemented by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2018, mandated that migrants fleeing due to domestic abuse or other issues must display proof their home country left them with “complete helplessness.” In 2019, former Attorney General William Barr introduced Matter of L-E-A, which limited the circumstances in which asylum-seekers could identify as a family unit.
Garland vacated the two opinions with his certification power, returning the immigration system to its preexisting state of affairs.
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“These decisions involve important questions about the meaning of our Nation’s asylum laws, which reflect America’s commitment to providing refuge to some of the world’s most vulnerable people,” wrote Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta in a memo to immigration judges.
Kids in Need of Defense, a liberal immigration group, praised Garland’s move, calling it “instrumental” in overturning “unlawful and overly restrictive” policies of the Trump era.
“In each case, the Attorney General’s decision set aside misguided decisions by Attorneys General and acting Attorneys General under the Trump Administration,” the group wrote. “Those decisions gave an unlawful and overly restrictive interpretation to several provisions of asylum law, blocking asylum seekers from being granted the protections recognized under international law and codified by Congress.”
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The attorney general’s reversal is in line with President Joe Biden’s slew of executive orders in February, one of which mandated Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to issue policies redefining a “social group” for migrants seeking asylum in the country.
Biden sought to reunite family groups through these orders and develop a new strategy to handle migration from Central America.
“President Biden’s strategy is centered on the basic premise that our country is safer, stronger, and more prosperous with a fair, safe and orderly immigration system that welcomes immigrants, keeps families together, and allows people — both newly arrived immigrants and people who have lived here for generations — to more fully contribute to our country,” the White House said in a statement.
