By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2026-09-18 05:42:00 | Updated at 2026-09-18 11:57:37
12 hours ago
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is cracking down on immigration attorneys who have clogged the system with tens of thousands of false asylum claims for migrants who do not deserve the status.
DHS General Counsel James Percival posted a warning Wednesday to immigration lawyers trying to game the system, which faces a backlog of nearly 3.5 million cases, with 2.3 million asylum claims in the nation’s immigration court system.
Percival, though, warns that most of these asylum claims are “meritless” and says that these fake claims are clogging the system and preventing real asylum seekers from getting the relief they need.
The DHS counsel added that the “meritless asylum applications are filed to obtain work permits, to delay deportation, and to force a release from custody,” instead of attaining life-saving asylum for migrants attempting to escape perilous conditions. He also warned that the meritless claims “will be dealt with accordingly.”
The department has been working to clear the backlog of cases since President Trump came to his second term but has also been warning immigration lawyers that their corruption will not be tolerated.
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In July, for instance Percival called for a nearly $500,000 fine to be levied on an immigration lawyer who was allegedly caught filling dozens of false immigration cases for clients trying to scam their way into legal immigration status in the United States.
With the fine, Percival reiterated that immigration lawyers will now be held accountable for filing false claims.
The fine in July was the second time Percival sanctioned an immigration lawyer for fraudulent claims.
Percival’s latest letter says attorneys who file false applications will be subject to penalties, and notes that DHS will “vigorously pursue all available remedies” against immigration fraud.
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