OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The ultimate impact of the end of Title 42 and the new rules for asylum seekers put in place are still unclear to an Omaha immigration lawyer.
Those new rules are the subject of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU on Friday, as well as drawing criticism from Omaha’s Immigrant Legal Center.
“This new regulation is extremely harmful and will effectively, we believe, shut down access to our asylum system for the most vulnerable migrants,” said Anna Dean, the group’s legal director.
She says without first seeking protection in any countries between their original nation and the U.S. as well as an appointment made through an app, they’re presumed ineligible.
“It’s difficult to anticipate whether the net migration into the interior of the country is likely to go up or down,” Dean said. But buses full of migrants aren’t coming to Omaha, though, she said. Those usually come from Republican-run states to large, liberal cities.
If not turned away at the border, asylum seekers can legally stay in the U.S. wherever while they await immigration court.
“Usually, they will head to a state where they have some sort of connection,” Deal said.
Regardless of where they choose, the wait for immigration court can be a long one.
“We personally here locally have seen wait times of six, seven, eight years,” she said.
Dean said the current immigration system is not equipped for an increase in asylum seekers. There need to be more immigration judges and legal services for asylum seekers, she said.
On Thursday, a GOP border security bill passed the House, but it’s unlikely to become law.
Congressman Don Bacon discussed it with reporters on Friday. 3 News Now asked if Title 42 will impact Omaha. Bacon indicated he was not sure. He did, however, point to the impact of fentanyl-laced drugs illegally crossing the border.
"I get the feedback every day," Bacon said. "People are angry about what they see happening at the Rio Grande ... It's what the voters want me to fix. A lot of them, not all."
"I understand the desire to come to the United States," Bacon said. "But that's where I want to increase legal immigration ... We need the workers. We need the people."
