NOW WE’RE TALKING: Sessions Ends Asylum for Most Domestic-Abuse and Gang-Violence Victims

Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered federal judges Monday to stop granting asylum to most of the tens of thousands of applicants who claim to be fleeing gang violence and domestic abuse.

Acting on his authority to issue decisions that serve as binding precedent for judges who report directly to the attorney general, including immigration judges, Sessions made the case that victims of “private” crimes are not entitled, simply by virtue of their status as victims, to asylum in the U.S. Rather, in order to be considered for asylum, an applicant “must show that the government condoned the private actions or demonstrated an inability to protect the victim,” according to the ruling.

“Generally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum,” Sessions wrote in his ruling. “The mere fact that a country may have problems effectively policing certain crimes — such as domestic violence or gang violence — or that certain populations are more likely to be victims of crime, cannot itself establish an asylum claim.”

Read the rest from Jack Crowe HERE.