Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute

Saving the Asylum System | Cato Institute: "Making such a claim starts a long legal process that allows many unauthorized immigrants claiming asylum to work legally in the United States for years on a de facto work permit. This is an effective loophole that is growing in popularity but reformers must be careful not to close off this vital humanitarian safety valve.

From independence to the 20th century, America was the world’s safe haven for religious refugees. But in 1921 the federal government imposed the nation’s first immigration quotas, removing the last hope for many millions of people seeking to flee dictatorship, war, and genocide. Those restrictions led to the U.S. government shamefully turning away ships full of German Jews fleeing Nazi Germany."



"the asylum loophole is an unintended consequence of severe restrictions that make it exceedingly difficult for lower-skilled immigrants to enter the country legally. The asylum loophole problem could be resolved by creating a low-skilled guest worker visa program to channel would-be unauthorized immigrants into the legal system — removing the incentive for some of them to make dubious asylum claims."



"Individuals apprehended by the Border Patrol who then seek asylum status could be paroled, electronically monitored, and levied a large fine to be paid within one year. Raising the cost for illegally entering incentivizes honest asylum seekers to go through ports of entry.



Legal behavior should be rewarded. Asylum seekers who apply through a port of entry should also receive their work permit within a brief period of parole, ideally a week, instead of the current 180 days."



"Under today’s asylum rules, the pilgrims would probably not pass the first stage of interviews because they were relatively unmolested in the Netherlands. Any proposed reform to the asylum system that would deny our ancestors the right to settle here should be rejected."