Trump Bans Convicted Felons, Gang Members from Securing Asylum in U.S.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a final regulatory rule that bans convicted felons, gang members, and domestic abusers from securing asylum to remain in the United States.

The rule, DOJ and DHS officials announced this week, ensures that foreign nationals convicted of certain crimes are not allowed to obtain asylum in the U.S. The rule takes effect in about a month.

“To ensure that criminal aliens cannot obtain this discretionary benefit, the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security have exercised their regulatory authority to limit eligibility for asylum for aliens who have engaged in specified categories of criminal behavior,” federal officials wrote in a news release.

The rule bans asylum for foreign nationals convicted of:

• A felony under federal or state law
• Alien smuggling or harboring
• Illegal reentry
• Criminal street gang activity
• Drunk driving
• Domestic abuse
• Identity theft or using fraudulent identification
• Possession or trafficking of drugs or drug paraphernalia...