Security Bars and Processing IFR; Delay of Effective Date - Advance Copy

This document is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 12/28/2022.

"On December 23, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (collectively, “the Departments”) published a final rule (“Security Bars rule”), to clarify that the “danger to the security of the United States” standard in the statutory bar to eligibility for asylum and withholding of removal encompasses certain emergency public health concerns and to make certain other changes. This rule would have made a noncitizen ineligible for asylum if, among other things, the noncitizen was physically present in a country in which a communicable disease was prevalent or epidemic, and the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General determined that the physical presence in the United States of noncitizens coming from that country would cause a danger to the public health. That rule was scheduled to take effect on January 22, 2021, but, as of January 21, 2021, the Departments delayed the rule’s effective date for 60 days to March 22, 2021. The Departments subsequently further delayed the rule’s effective date to December 31, 2021, and most recently to December 31, 2022. In this rule, the Departments are further extending the delay of the effective date of the Security Bars rule until December 31, 2024. The Departments are soliciting comments both on the delay until December 31, 2024, and whether the effective date of the Security Bars rule should be delayed beyond that date. DATES: Effective date: As of [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER], the effective date of the final rule published December 23, 2020, at 85 FR 84160, which was delayed by the rules published at 86 FR 6847 (Jan. 25, 2021), 86 FR 15069 (Mar. 22, 2021), and 86 FR 73615 (Dec. 28, 2021), is further delayed until December 31, 2024. Submission of public comments: Comments must be submitted on or before [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]."