President Trump’s administration has successfully decreased the asylum loophole at the border established during President Biden’s tenure by 65%. New judges and regulations have also been implemented to address fraudulent asylum claims.
One immigration judge expressed concern, saying, “It’s quite tough to see your professional life, built over 45 years, diminished in just six months,” as reported by the San Francisco Standard.
Under Biden’s watch, the situation at the border has resulted in millions of illegal immigrants facing declines in their asylum and citizenship applications.
More individuals are directed to a backlog of 1.1 million pending asylum cases. Efforts are being made to enforce stricter policies against illegal immigration on the streets, while all new illegal entries at the U.S. border are being detained.
“There’s a clear connection between explicit policy shifts and the implicit threats surrounding judges,” said academic Austinkocher. “These judges appear to be following the overall directive to deny asylum requests,” he noted.
“This isn’t coincidental; it reflects a conscious policy direction,” he added.
Related: Senator Moreno comments: There should be no sympathy for those invading our borders. We must not feel sorry for illegal immigrants being deported.
“In the first 100 days, Trump has already reshaped the immigration court system,” wrote Cochel, a researcher at Syracuse University, who tracks immigration data.
The rollback of asylum under Trump’s leadership is anticipated to alleviate the financial burden on citizens, reducing issues like chaotic diversity, stagnant wages, housing costs, and declining birth rates.
Data reveals that judges appointed during this administration are resolving cases at double the rate compared to those under Biden, approving asylum claims at a significantly lower frequency.
For instance, in July 2025, only 20% of asylum claims were granted by Trump’s judges, compared to 57% in October 2023.
In fact, 75% of asylum claims made in July 2025 were denied, a stark contrast to the 45% denial rate noted in October 2023. This represents a considerable shift in outcomes.
In July 2025, a Trump-appointed judge reviewed 9,830 asylum cases — only 1,939 were approved while 7,410 were denied.
This marks a significant change compared to October 2023, where a Biden-appointed judge reviewed 6,237 cases, granting asylum in 3,185 and denying only 2,820.
The trend since July appears to be escalating, as representatives from the Justice Department are actively dismissing judges appointed by Biden. Many of those let go had previously been known for rubber-stamping asylum applications without considering the economic and social effects on both American citizens and the immigrants’ home countries.
Missionlocal.org recently reported that a judge in San Francisco, Loi McCleskey, was terminated due to a high asylum approval rate of 70.2%. Previous judges, like Levine and Dillon, were also noted for their high rates of approval.
Trump’s administration has recently dismissed two additional immigration judges in New York City, as noted earlier this month. Both judges had favorable asylum grant rates, and their removal comes amid broader changes.
Many of these eliminated judges are expected to be replaced by military judges assigned from the Department of Defense.
Democrats in Congress are expressing deep concerns about the use of military personnel in roles traditionally performed by the Justice Department.
A letter to the Pentagon from 12 Democratic representatives stated, “We remain very troubled by this move. These immigration court actions are fundamentally law enforcement functions, which should not be performed by military members.”
Throughout Biden’s administration, Democrats have advocated for the protection of various immigrant groups facing threats in their home countries. However, economic motivations also lead many to seek better opportunities in the U.S.
Yet, the narrative around asylum claims has often been used to obscure Democratic policies regarding immigration and economic issues.
The letter from senators may play a role in future legal challenges regarding the transfer of military judges.
