CNN: Asylum Officers Push Back Against Biden Border Proposals
And call into question their individual and collective objectivity
By Andrew R. Arthur on April 13, 2023
On April 12, CNN ran an article captioned “‘It feels like Groundhog Day’: Federal officials frustrated by whiplash as Biden turns to Trump-era border policies”. It’s exceptional, though likely not in the manner the outlet intended, in that it reveals that asylum officers (AOs) — USCIS line employees charged with adjudicating credible fear claims and affirmative asylum applications (among others) — are pushing back on the president’s recent border proposals. It also calls into question their individual and collective objectivity when it comes to implementing U.S. law.
Asylum Officers. AOs are USCIS employees within the Asylum Division at the agency’s Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate (RAIO).
RAIO’s officers “adjudicate[] affirmative asylum applications for people who are already in the U.S. and, generally, are not already in removal proceedings” and also “conduct[] credible fear screenings for people placed in expedited removal [and] reasonable fear screenings for people subject to final administrative removal orders or reinstatement of prior removal orders”, among other duties.
According to USAJobs, AOs start at a pay of GS-9 step one on the federal government’s general pay scale ($42,823.00) and can make up to a GS-11 step 10 ($67,354.00) with promotion potential to $80,731.00 (GS-12 step 10), as well as possible locality pay increases. Note that neither a law degree nor a PhD is required for the job — in fact, it’s not entirely clear that even a bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite.
https://cis.org/Arthur/CNN-Asylum-Officers-Push-Back-Against-Biden-Border-Proposals
