- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Justice Department Slashes Asylum Award Rates Down to 10 Percent
Trump administration policies lead to dramatic drop in asylum approvals for economic migrants
Published on Feb. 14, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Trump administration has sharply reduced the approval rate for asylum claims, with only 10 percent of migrants winning their cases in December 2025. This is down from over 50 percent under the Biden administration, as the Justice Department removes pro-migration judges and uses aggressive tactics to pressure migrants to give up their asylum cases.
Why it matters
The drop in asylum approvals makes it easier for the Trump administration to deport illegal immigrants, as judges can now issue 'Final Orders of Deportation' that ICE can quickly enforce. This also serves as a deterrent for future economic migrants, encouraging them to stay in their home countries instead of making the dangerous trek to the U.S.
The details
Under the Trump administration, the asylum approval rate has plummeted from over 50% under Biden to just 10% in December 2025. This is due to the removal of pro-migration judges and aggressive tactics used by ICE to pressure migrants in detention to give up their asylum cases, sometimes offering as much as $5,000 to do so. The administration is also using the low approval rates to speed up the processing of the backlog of asylum cases, which had previously taken over 1,100 days on average.
- In the fall of 2023, over 50% of migrants won their asylum cases under the Biden administration.
- In December 2025, the asylum approval rate dropped to just 10%.
- From October to December 2025, judges issued 150,000 final orders of deportation.
The players
Pam Bondi
The Attorney General who is removing many older, pro-migration judges to further reduce asylum approval rates.
Lawrence O. Burman
A Democrat-appointed immigration judge in Arlington, Virginia who granted asylum to 90% of the 481 migrants in his courtroom until his retirement in February 2026.
Maureen O'Sullivan
A judge who retired in mid-2025 after rubber-stamping 91% of 1,145 asylum pleas from 2020 to 2025.
What they’re saying
“Suddenly, you're thrown in detention. You're away from your job, you're away from your family, you're away from your [lawyer] resources. And there's an ICE officer coming to you every single day in detention and saying, 'You can get out today if you sign on this paper and give up your right to a day in court … they say, we'll give you $2,000, we'll give you $3,000 if you just sign this and go away.'”
— Aaron Reichlin Melnick, Advocate, American Immigration Council (Bill Kristol)
“I've heard reports of offers as high as $5,000 for people to give up and not get their day in court. It is hard to understate again, how intense the pressure is on people once they get into detention to give up.”
— Aaron Reichlin Melnick, Advocate, American Immigration Council (Bill Kristol)
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.
