Washington, December 23, 2025 – The Europe Today: The United States is moving to cancel thousands of pending asylum cases as part of a new nationwide immigration strategy under President Donald Trump, according to media reports.
The Trump administration has reportedly instructed government attorneys to seek the dismissal of asylum claims currently being heard in U.S. immigration courts. The initiative targets asylum-seekers with active cases, arguing that they can be deported to third countries rather than returned to their countries of origin, News.Az reported, citing Reuters.
According to the report, the new approach involves attorneys from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) asking immigration judges to dismiss asylum cases without reviewing their merits. Judges are also being requested to issue deportation orders directing asylum-seekers to countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Uganda.
Reuters said it could not immediately verify the CBS News report that first detailed the policy shift. The White House, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
The development comes as the Trump administration prepares for a significantly tougher immigration crackdown in 2026, supported by a substantial expansion in enforcement funding. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Congress approved a sweeping spending package allocating approximately $170 billion in additional funding for ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol through September 2029. This marks a sharp increase compared with their combined annual budgets of about $19 billion.
Observers say the reported campaign signals a move toward faster case closures and expanded deportation authority. Immigration advocates have raised concerns that the strategy could undermine due process and weaken longstanding asylum protections in the United States.
