President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping immigration plan that has human rights advocates and the immigrant community in the U.S. concerned. The proposal calls for mass rejection of pending asylum applications and expedited deportations without the intervention of immigration judges, a move that could directly affect hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Hispanic.
This plan seeks to close the doors to those who entered the U.S. illegally and then applied for asylum. According to data from the Department of Homeland Security(DHS), about 25% of asylum seekers claim to have crossed the border without prior authorization. That figure would represent more than 360,000 people, only considering the records of the last few years.
What does Trump’s new plan propose?
The President’s team seeks to use U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as an enforcer.
This is to initiate expedited deportation proceedings, something that has traditionally been the exclusive purview of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This represents an unprecedented change: USCIS has historically been an agency focused on granting immigration benefits, not removing people from the country.
In 2025, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has granted USCIS the authority to conduct expedited removal proceedings.
Even without a hearing before an immigration judge, if it is determined that the person does not qualify for humanitarian protection.
This is according to an internal memo disclosed by media outlets such as CNN.
Who would be at risk?
Immigrants with pending asylum applications – many with years living and working legally in the U.S. – could see their cases closed without notice.
Leaving them vulnerable to immediate expulsion.
Even those who entered legally and later applied for asylum would also be at risk if their case is deemed “legally deficient.”
This measure could directly affect hundreds of thousands of people, many of them Hispanic
According to official figures, in 2025 there are more than 1.4 million affirmative asylum applications pending before USCIS.
Many applicants have been waiting for years for a resolution and have started families, created businesses or formally work in the United States.
Reactions and consequences
Buzzy
Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have condemned this plan.
They warn that it turns USCIS into a deportation arm, profoundly affecting immigrants’ confidence in the system.
“The administration is transforming a benefits agency into an immigration enforcement agency.”
“This will have a chilling effect on those seeking protection,” warned Sarah Mehta, spokesperson for the ACLU.
For her part, Conchita Cruz, co-director of the Asylum Seekers Advocacy Project, said:
“The government should process applications, not arbitrarily reject them. Many of these immigrants have contributed to our communities for years.”
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.
