Punjabi group questions fairness of US asylum system after high denials

The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expressed concern on Tuesday over US immigration court statistics indicating that more than nine out of ten asylum applications were rejected last June, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

Only 5.5 per cent of cases were approved during the period, prompting NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal to call the denial rate "very high" and in need of independent review. "We support the enforcement of US immigration laws and strongly oppose fraudulent asylum claims," Chahal said. "However, genuine asylum seekers must get a fair chance to present their cases and evidence."

The high rejection rate comes amid significant upheaval in the US immigration court system. According to TRAC figures, 279 immigration judges either left their posts or were terminated during fiscal years 2025 and 2026, while hundreds of new and temporary judges have joined the courts. The staffing changes have raised questions about the consistency and quality of case adjudications.

Chahal noted that reducing the backlog of immigration cases remains an important priority for the system, though not at the expense of fair proceedings for legitimate claimants.