USCIS faces lawsuit over asylum rules and form updates

A coalition of immigrant rights organizations, including Human Rights First and the National Immigrant Justice Center, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the District of Columbia. The legal challenge seeks to overturn an interim rule that allows immigration officers to refer asylum seekers directly to immigration courts without conducting mandatory in-person interviews, relying instead on written applications. Advocates argue this policy undermines procedural guarantees and could impact approximately 444,000 people.

Separately, USCIS has announced an update to Form I-485 for green card applicants, effective September 18. The new version of the form will include additional questions regarding the ‘public charge’ rule, requiring applicants to disclose household composition, annual income, assets, debts, and professional credentials. The agency stated it will reject older versions of the form submitted after the implementation date, and no transition period will be provided between the current and new editions.