According to a report cited by CBS News, the Trump administration is preparing a new immigration policy that could reject asylum seekers without even an interview.The proposed rule was developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under the plan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials will be allowed to deny applications if they believe the claims were filed more than a year after the applicant entered the US. This would circumvent the long-standing practice of conducting interviews in almost all asylum cases before making a decision.Applicants whose cases are rejected under this process will later be deported by immigration courts, where they must argue their case in a formal legal setting.US immigration law generally prohibits asylum applications filed more than one year after entry, although there are some exceptions. These included serious medical issues, ineffective legal advice, or applicants who were minors traveling alone. The proposed regulation would still allow officers to pursue cases for interview if they feel an exception applies.However, the main change is that officers will be able to rely solely on paperwork to reject cases that fall outside the legal time limits, rather than interviewing applicants as part of the initial review.A USCIS spokesperson said the administration is considering various ways to deal with the growing backlog of asylum cases.“This will allow USCIS to avoid wasting time on asylum applications it would otherwise refer to immigration proceedings and will allow illegal aliens to have their claims heard by a judge,” the spokesperson said.The statement also said the backlog was a result of what it described as “the Biden administration’s dangerous open border policies” and that the government was reviewing options to address the more than one million pending claims.The proposal has raised concerns among immigration advocates, who warn it could push people into deportation proceedings without being given a fair chance to explain delays in filing their claims.Conchita Cruz, co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, said there are often legitimate reasons why asylum seekers miss the one-year deadline.“The government will change the rules for immigrants who have often been going through a complex immigration process for many years,” he said.Under US law, most people on US soil can request asylum, even if they entered the country illegally. However, they must prove that they are fleeing persecution based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group. People who are granted asylum can stay in the US permanently, while people who are denied asylum are deported.The asylum system has faced increasing pressure in recent years, with government data showing that USCIS had a backlog of 1.5 million applications as of last year. Immigration courts under the Justice Department are also dealing with a backlog of about 3.3 million cases, including 2.3 million asylum-related claims. Delays could encourage immigrants who may not be eligible for protection to remain in the country until their cases are processed.The Trump administration has also made agreements with other countries to accept deported asylum seekers, including the “safe third country” arrangement, which requires applicants to seek protection outside the US, sometimes in countries with controversial human rights records.The administration has previously put a hold on asylum applications under specific circumstances, including from an Afghan asylum seeker linked to the attack on two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC, last year. That ban was later eased but will continue to apply to applicants from the 39 countries listed under the travel ban proclamation.