WASHINGTON (AFP) : The Trump administration instituted a rule change on Tuesday that could fast-track the deportation of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers. Under the new rule some asylum applications will be referred directly to Justice Department immigration judges without a prior interview by an asylum officer with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The current system “essentially allows an alien to get a second chance at asylum,” DHS said. “This rule will shorten the total time that it takes asylum officers and Immigration Judges to adjudicate asylum applications.” Trump campaigned for the White House on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants and has taken a number of actions since returning to the White House aimed at speeding up deportations and reducing border crossings.