Sen. Bernie Moreno Introduces Bill to Overhaul U.S. Asylum System

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Newly-elected U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Westlake Republican, introduced legislation on Thursday aimed at addressing the nation’s backlogged asylum system. The bill seeks to tighten asylum application processes and curb illegal immigration.

The proposed legislation, titled the Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act, would require asylum seekers to file their requests exclusively at legal ports of entry. It also aims to block the parole or release of asylum applicants into the U.S. while their cases are pending. Additionally, the bill would prohibit migrants caught illegally in the U.S. from ever claiming asylum in the future and bar applicants from reapplying after a previous rejection.

“If you want to live in this country, you have to respect our laws, and that starts at our borders,” Moreno said in a statement. The senator, a naturalized U.S. citizen whose parents immigrated from Colombia, emphasized the need for reform. “Our broken asylum system has overwhelmed our borders with millions of migrants who enter the country illegally, claim asylum, and are just released into the country,” he added.

As of last summer, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reported over 1 million pending asylum cases. Moreno’s bill aims to address what he describes as abuse of the system by immigrants who apply for asylum despite knowing they do not qualify, simply to gain entry and remain in the U.S. indefinitely.

The legislation has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration. This marks the second bill Moreno has introduced since being sworn in as a U.S. Senator earlier this month. His first bill, introduced Tuesday, would fund the “External Revenue Service” proposed by former President Donald Trump.

Moreno, born in 1967 in Bogota, Colombia, comes from a family of generational wealth. His father, Bernardo Moreno Sr., was a physician and high-ranking government official. Moreno’s family immigrated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when he was 5, and he later became a U.S. citizen. During his campaign, Moreno described himself as a “constitutional conservative” with a deep appreciation for the U.S., shaped by his immigrant background.