Plain Language Summary
# RULES Act Summary **What the Bill Would Do** The RULES Act (Refugees Using Legal Entry Safely Act) would tighten asylum rules by requiring people seeking asylum to apply at official U.S. ports of entry rather than elsewhere. It would prevent asylum seekers from being allowed into the country temporarily while their applications are reviewed. Additionally, anyone caught in the U.S.
without legal status would be permanently barred from seeking asylum, and people whose asylum applications are denied would be permanently prohibited from reapplying—even if their circumstances change significantly. **Who It Affects and Current Status** This bill primarily affects people fleeing their home countries who wish to seek asylum in the U.S., as well as immigration officials and courts handling asylum cases. The bill is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced the legislation. **Key Difference from Current Law** Under existing rules, asylum applicants can reapply if their circumstances change substantially. This bill would eliminate that possibility, making asylum denial permanent in most cases.
CRS Official Summary
Refugees Using Legal Entry Safely Act or RULES ActThis bill requires non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) applying for asylum to arrive and apply at a U.S. port of entry. Applicants are prohibited from being paroled into the U.S. pending approval of such application. Further, individuals apprehended in the U.S. without legal immigration status are ineligible for asylum. Applicants rejected for asylum are barred from applying for asylum in the future. Under current law, an applicant may reapply in changed or extraordinary circumstances.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.