By admin 
The best way to understand this Trump administration’s immigration policy is as a giant race to deport as many people as possible. Standing in the way of that goal is a complex series of laws and procedures aimed at adjudicating which asylum-seekers (and others) have a legitimate claim to stay. From literally Day 1, this administration has sought to undermine that system with an “Everyone* Must Go” mentality. Today the administration took another major step toward that goal.
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*Unless you’re white; we’ll get to that.
That’s ominous. What is this new policy?
As of today, the administration is making it easier to move asylum-seekers’ cases directly into deportation proceedings, the Washington Post reports. Specifically, hundreds of thousands of people (or about one-third of asylum cases pending before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) could see their applications rerouted to the Justice Department’s immigration courts. For many, this change means a fast track to deportation, as—due to other Trump-era changes—those judges can now dismiss certain cases without a hearing.
How is that different from the previous policy?
Provided they entered the U.S. legally and were not charged with any other immigration violation, anyone seeking asylum is supposed to have the opportunity to make their case to a trained asylum officer. Now many people, including those who have a legitimate claim to asylum, won’t even get that chance.
Why is the administration doing this?
The stated reason is that there is a “crisis” in the USCIS process, which, a Trump official said, was being flooded by people exploiting a loophole. If that were really the issue, the government could beef up the corps of asylum officers and strengthen the system. It is much more likely that this is simply a way to up the pace of deportations.
When does this change take effect?
Administration policy changes typically require a lengthy internal review period and time for public comment. This one, for reasons I can’t say I fully understand, skipped all that and went into effect immediately—as of today.
Does that timing dovetail with another horrifically cruel immigration policy?
Why, yes, yes, it does. This week, millions of Haitians lost their temporary protected status, which shielded certain people from deportation on the grounds that they’d be sent back to horrible situations. That certainly applies to Haiti, which is enduring tremendous hardship and instability. I would note that, perhaps not coincidentally, people covered by TPS are often eligible to apply for asylum.
OK, so what about if you are white?
Oh, the Trump administration is actively soliciting white South Africans, who, upon arrival, are being greeted with literal welcome bags.
Wow, so Trump’s team is doing everything they can to make asylum impossible but also targeting white people to come to the U.S. for resettlement? That sounds really racist.
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You said it, not me. But also, I said it: It’s white nationalism in action.
Well, that was dark. But things aren’t hopeless, and we’re not powerless. My colleagues have some great content to help you have an inspired and enjoyable evening.
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An immersive Odyssey experience: IMAX 70 mm is considered the best format for viewing Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. But you can go even further than that. Nadira Goffe argues that watching the film in 4DX—which features, among other things, scents, moving chairs, and sprays of water—is the superior way to experience the epic adventure. Nadira breaks down what you can expect during a multisensory screening.
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If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have a challenge for you! Starting on Aug. 10, longtime Slatester Dan Kois will be taking you on a six-week time-travel journey (via newsletter) to rediscover the lost art of hanging out, the way people did it during Slate’s birth year of 1996. If you sign up before Aug. 14 and complete at least one of the challenges, we’ll mail you some fun stuff! You can sign up here.
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OK! That’s all for us. Thanks so much for reading, and we’ll see you tomorrow.