The evidence is overwhelming: our asylum system was systematically abused during the border crisis. In FY 2025, immigration judges denied over 82,000 asylum claims — more than doubling the previous year’s denials. The annual grant rate fell to 9.9%, the lowest in at least a decade, and the denial rate has since climbed to nearly 80%. These figures confirm what Americans have suspected for years: the vast majority of asylum claims filed at the border were not legitimate.

The no-show crisis makes this even clearer. Immigration judges issued over 306,000 in absentia removal orders in FY 2025 — up 39% from the year before — because respondents who filed claims simply to delay removal are now refusing to show up for their hearings. If these individuals had genuine fears of persecution, they would appear in court to make their case. Their absence speaks for itself.

H.R. 116, the Stopping Border Surges Act, would close the loopholes that made this abuse possible. The bill would tighten the credible fear standard, require asylum claims to be filed at ports of entry, extend the work permit waiting period for asylum seekers to one full year, and classify asylum fraud as a felony. These reforms would deter frivolous claims while preserving protections for those genuinely fleeing persecution. Please support and pass H.R. 116 to make sure our asylum system works as intended — protecting the persecuted, not rewarding those who exploit our generosity.

Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA

Sent to:
Jay Obernolte