Over the past eighteen months, the Trump administration has systematically dismantled what remains of our asylum program, and the changes accelerating this week represent something darker than mere policy reform. This year, immigration judges denied 94 percent of asylum cases in June alone, compared with 62 percent just six months earlier. USCIS alone carries a backlog of roughly 1 million pending asylum cases. What we’re watching is the methodical demolition of that promise, piece by piece, rule by rule, denied case by denied case. According to Justice Department figures, there are 2.4 million pending asylum applications stuck in immigration court.