Attorney John de la Vega explained to Voz News all the details regarding the recent changes to asylum rules

Voz News anchor and executive director Karina Yapor interviewed immigration attorney John de la Vega on the news program about the changes to U.S. asylum rules recently announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

"Clearly, what the immigration service is seeking is to expedite the adjudication of all those millions of cases pending before USCIS, and if a case does not warrant approval, to refer it to immigration court. The government's main argument is that this will streamline asylum proceedings before the agency. But the downside is that, historically, asylum seekers have had the opportunity to meet with an asylum officer to explain why they cannot return to their country of origin. With this decision, a very high percentage of asylum seekers will not have this interview but will instead be automatically referred to immigration court. "When a person wants to seek asylum in the United States, they must base their claim on a protected characteristic, such as race, religion, or political opinion," said de la Vega.

You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.