The US Department of Homeland Security has instructed immigration attorneys at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seek the early dismissal of asylum claims they consider legally deficient, according to internal guidance obtained by Fox News Digital. The move is part of the Trump administration's broader push to tighten the asylum system and crack down on fraudulent applications, extending its focus on fraud from enforcement actions into immigration court litigation itself.

Under the guidance, which took effect immediately, attorneys in ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor must file "motions to pretermit" against asylum applications judged insufficient on their face, asking judges to dismiss them before a full merits hearing; judges retain the final say on whether to grant such motions. The directive follows other recent steps, including allowing some asylum applications to bypass interviews and go straight to court, pursuing civil penalties against lawyers accused of facilitating fraudulent claims, and seeking a near-$500,000 fine against one New York immigration attorney.