The U.S. Asylum System is Broken. How Could it be Reimagined?

The U.S. asylum system is often cited as part of a noble legacy tied to the message on the Statue of Liberty, offering freedom to the “huddled masses.”

But the truth is much more complicated and decidedly less noble.

Over its 40-year history, the U.S. asylum system has never meted out refuge evenly or in the full spirit behind its creation.

While some of the changes would require more funding for a particular agency or process, there are also opportunities to shift funding away from policies that don’t help the system function as smoothly or fairly as it could.

“It’s not necessarily all about needing more money invested — it’s about political will,” said Michelle Brané, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice program at the Women’s Refugee Commission.

In addition to the San Diego Union-Tribune, this article was featured in 12 other publications, including The Register-Herald (West Virginia), LancasterOnline (Pennsylvania), Stars and Stripes, The Killeen Daily Herald (Texas), The Cherokee Ledger News, The Marietta Daily Journal, and the Hastings Tribune.