US to Deny Certain Asylees During Public Health Emergencies

Several nonprofits and faith-based groups opposed the rule, urging the Biden administration to withdraw it in 2022.

Illegal immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala are apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers after crossing into the United States, in Ruby, Arizona, on Jan. 4, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The United States will soon be able to deny asylum claims from illegal immigrants who cross the border during certain public health emergencies if they pose public health risks.

The rule—called Security Bars and Processing—was first published at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden administration delayed the rule’s effective date multiple times.