Children Facing Imminent Danger will ‘Likely’ Receive Asylum
Amid the growing debate over immigration reform, specifically concerning the increasing number of unaccompanied children migrants crossing into the United States, the White House announced that immigrant children who face imminent and mortal danger in their home countries will likely be allowed to remain in the United States. White House Secretary Josh Earnest stated that these children are entitled to due process and will go through the immigration process thereby allowing immigration judges and asylum officials to make the final determination of whether they face a credible threat of death upon return to their home countries.
If immigration officials do in fact determine that a child faces a clear and credible threat of harm upon return to their home country the judge may ultimately find that the child be granted asylum permitting that child to legally remain in the United States. Secretary Earnest did mention that the White House is looking for greater authority to more efficiently enforce the current immigration law and expressed the White House’s interest in changing the current immigration laws, but few specifics have been offered concerning details of these changes.