DOJ tightens asylum rules for people fleeing violence

Being part of a family that’s harassed by a gang isn’t enough on its own to qualify for asylum, Attorney General William P. Barr ruled Monday, in the latest effort by the administration to put a cap on the expanding universe of asylum claims.

Mr. Barr overturned a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had ruled that being part of a targeted family could qualify as a distinct social group, which is a key element of valid asylum claims.

In his new decision, Mr. Barr said that was far too broad a claim.

He said there are situations where being part of a prominent family could satisfy the law, but it can’t be automatic.

“If this were the case, virtually everyone in that society would be a member of a cognizable particular social group,” he wrote.