Jan 22, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Moreno introduces first bill cracking down on asylum

Stef W. Kight

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) departs from a Senate Transportation Committee business meeting to consider the nomination of Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary on Capitol Hill on January 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. — Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) departs from a Senate Transportation Committee business meeting. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) will introduce his first piece of legislation on Thursday — a bill that would significantly restrict access to asylum.

Why it matters: Moreno, a Colombian immigrant, won the most expensive Senate campaign in history with a big focus on cracking down on the border.

Some of the policies Moreno proposes in his bill mirror executive actions President Trump has already put in place, such as Remain in Mexico.

Zoom in: The bill will be titled Refugees Using Legal Entry Safely — or "RULES" — Act.

It would:

Require asylum seekers to file their application at legal ports of entry, refusing access to those who illegally cross the border.
Stops the release of asylum seekers into the U.S. before their cases are decided.
Prevents someone from applying for asylum again if they have already been denied once.
Restrict anyone who is caught by law enforcement out of legal immigration status from claiming asylum.

What he's saying: "If you want to live in this country, you have to respect our laws, and that starts at our borders," Moreno said in a statement.

"But our broken asylum system has overwhelmed our borders with millions of migrants who enter the country illegally, claim asylum, and are just released into the county."

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Scoop: Moreno introduces first bill cracking down on asylum

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