rule would rewrite asylum law without authorization from Congress and reinterprets who qualifies as a “refugee” in a limited way so that most LGBTQ or HIV-positive refugees would no longer qualify.
Critics say it would result in asylum seekers being put at risk when they are returned to countries where they are targeted for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The rule raises the standards for “credible and reasonable fear” interviews, which are used to determine the level of threat that an individual faces in their country of origin, meaning immigration judges will be empowered to categorically dismiss certain claims without granting hearings or taking into account the individual circumstances of each asylum seeker’s case.For.