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Jul 30, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Barr moves to restrict asylum claims based on threats to family members

Rebecca Falconer
Attorney General William Barr speaks at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University School of Law on July 23.

Attorney General Bill Barr. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Attorney General Bill Barr issued an opinion Monday that moves to restrict asylum protections for migrants whose family members have been persecuted in their home countries.

Why it matters: This precedent-setting decision is another attempt by the Trump administration to limit U.S. sanctuary options for asylum-seekers.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council comments on Barr's decision
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council

The big picture: The decision reverses a 2018 ruling by the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals that a Mexican migrant whose father was targeted by a drug cartel could be eligible for asylum, per the New York Times.

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