DHS Issues New Directive to Stop Abuse of US Asylum System by Illegal Immigrants, Attorneys

Some immigration lawyers coach illegal immigrant clients on hiding their past and lying when seeking asylum, the department said.

Illegal immigrant families turn themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol to seek asylum following an illegal crossing of the Rio Grande in Hidalgo, Texas, on Aug. 23, 2019. Loren Elliott/Reuters

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a new directive to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), empowering the agency to crack down on attorneys who commit fraud while seeking asylum for illegal immigrants.

ICE has been asked to develop anti-fraud policies to further implement Title 8, Section 1324c(d) of the U.S. Code, a law related to document fraud violations, DHS said in a May 26 statement.