Asylum Decisions and Denials Jump in 2018

TRAC Immigration released a report yesterday:

“Fiscal year 2018 broke records for the number of decisions (42,224) by immigration judges granting or denying asylum. Denials grew faster than grants, pushing denial rates up as well. The 42,224 decisions represented a 40 percent jump from decisions during FY 2017, and an 89 percent increase over the number of asylum decisions of two years ago.” (emphasis added).

As discussed in the report, former Attorney General Sessions’ intervention in BIA rulings to facilitate case closures appeared to have had an impact.

KJ