The Trump administration is reportedly pursuing a nationwide campaign to dismiss thousands of pending asylum claims by arguing migrants could be deported to third countries rather than their homelands, CBS News said. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The development, if confirmed, could affect thousands of active cases in U.S. immigration courts. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru)
Trump Administration Seeks to Void Thousands of Asylum Claims by Citing Third-Country Deportations
U.S. President Donald Trump atttends a press conference, as he makes an announcement about the Navy's "Golden Fleet" at Mar-a-lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 22, 2025. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak
Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Trump administration has launched a nationwide effort to cancel the asylum applications of thousands of people with active cases in U.S. immigration courts, CBS News reported on Tuesday.
According to the CBS News account, federal attorneys are arguing that many migrants could be deported to countries other than their countries of origin — so-called "third countries" — and are using that reasoning to seek dismissal of pending asylum claims. If adopted broadly, the approach could lead to the termination of thousands of pending cases.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the CBS News report.
Context: Asylum claims are adjudicated in immigration courts, where applicants seek protection on the grounds of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution in their home countries. The legal argument that migrants can be removed to third countries has been raised before in various contexts but its nationwide application to void existing asylum claims would represent a significant step affecting many pending cases.
(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru)
