THE END
OF
ASYLUM
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE END OF ASYLUM
The U.S. asylum system has long served as a beacon of liberty for those fleeing persecution in their homelandsand for decades, enjoyed bipartisan support. As we dig out from the rubble of the Trump administration, this book is required reading to understand how his administration wrecked Americas commitment to humanitarian protection. From the genesis of the asylum process to its evolution over time, Schoenholtz, Ramji-Nogales, and Schrag meticulously detail how the administration weaponized regulations, decisions, and policies to undermine this vital program. More importantly, the authors deliver comprehensive guidance for rebuilding an asylum system that again upholds American ideals and the U.S. commitment to protect refugees from terrible harm.
Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action and Fair Count
The End of Asylum is an urgently needed book and a genuine public service: a meticulous account of how the Trump administration dismantled the countrys humanitarian protections for asylum seekers and refugees. A clarifying read for anyone who wants to understand the full scope of the damage wrought by President Trump, this book offers a step-by-step tour of the toll for vulnerable people at the southern border and beyond. If the Trump administrations layered attacks on asylum seekers are convoluted and often legally sloppy, Schoenholtz, Ramji-Nogales, and Schrag are the opposite: clear, cogent, trustworthy guides through a bureaucratic disaster-scape. The authors remind us why refugee protections exist in the first place, tracing their origins back to moral failures during the Holocaust for which the United States, and much of Europe, sought to atone. They also train our eyes toward the future, to assess how vital humanitarian protections can be restored, or even expanded, by a new administrationa necessary spark of hope for the tempest-tossed.
Sarah Stillman, staff writer for the New Yorker and director, Global Migration Program, Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism
Concise and comprehensive, The End of Asylum recounts the relentless, and largely successful, efforts of the Trump administration to stop refugees and asylum seekers from receiving protection in the United States. The Biden administration should take careful note of the authors smart and practical proposals for restoring Americas traditional welcome to those seeking safety from persecution.
T. Alexander Aleinikoff, former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees and director, Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School
This book is a comprehensive, deeply insightful accounting of the deconstruction of the U.S. asylum system under the Trump administration. The authors combine scholarly history with a gritty, real-time analysis of current events, narrating the assault on asylum with a perfect blend of legal precision and conversational tone. For asylum experts and novices alike, this book is outstanding reading.
David L. Neal, former chair, Board of Immigration Appeals, and former chief immigration judge, U.S. Department of Justice
Read this book! Its a clear, concise, and devastating indictment of the criminal damage doneviciously, vindictivelyto the asylum and refugee protection regime by the Trump administration. And read it for what the president and Congress can and should do to remedy the injusticetake back the reins and legislate a fair and equitable asylum process.
Guy S. Goodwin-Gill, professor of law, University of New South Wales, Andrew and Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, and emeritus fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford
The Trump administration unleashed a blitzkrieg against the U.S. asylum system, a comprehensive assault as cruel as it was effective. The authors catalog the changes that have, taken together, inflicted profound suffering on people seeking safety and obliterated the system of protection that Congress forty years ago sought to create. Most importantly, this timely and essential book reminds us why America pledged to protect refugees in the first place and details the practical steps a new administration must take to live up to that promise.
Elisa Massimino, former president and CEO of Human Rights First and senior fellow, Center for American Progress
This important and timely book painstakingly details the Trump administrations dismantling of the U.S. asylum system. Its comprehensive review and analysis not only will serve as an important historical record but should be required reading for anyone seeking to undo the damage wrought in the last four years.
Natalie Nanasi, Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Schoenholtz, Andrew Ian, 1951- author. | Ramji-Nogales, Jaya, author. | Schrag, Philip G., 1943- author.
Title: The end of asylum / Andrew I. Schoenholtz, Jaya Ramji-Nogales, Philip Schrag.
Description: Washington, DC : Georgetown University Press, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020047030 (print) | LCCN 2020047031 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781647121075 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781647121082 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Asylum, Right ofUnited States. | RefugeesLaw and
legislationUnited States. | Asylum, Right ofGovernment policyUnited States. |
RefugeesGovernment policyUnited States.
Classification: LCC KF4836 .S374 2021 (print) | LCC KF4836 (ebook) |
DDC 342.7308/3dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047030
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047031
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992
(Permanence of Paper).
22219 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First printing
Printed in the United States of America.
Cover design by Tim Green, Faceout Studio
Interior design by Paul Hotvedt, Blue Heron Typesetters, LLC
In memory of my parents, Evelyn and Harold Schoenholtz,
whose unending love made all the difference.
Andrew I. Schoenholtz
For Luis, Kala, and Javier, with so much gratitude for
your patience, love, and support.
Jaya Ramji-Nogales
For my grandchildrenLeonard, Nora, Thomas,
Eleanor, and Shoshanawith the hope that they
will live in a more tolerant world.
Philip G. Schrag
