S. 3488: Asylum Reform and Loophole Closure Act


Quick Facts:

Bill Sponsor: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)

Congress: 119

Date Introduced: Dec. 16, 2025

Last Action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Dec. 16, 2025)

View on Congress.gov

Asylum Reform and Loophole Closure Act

This bill:

  • Renders aliens ineligible for asylum if they entered or attempted to enter the U.S. while transiting through a safe third country;
  • Makes aliens permanently ineligible for asylum if they attempted to enter illegally or have attempted to enter or have obtained entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, including by attempting to obtain or obtaining a fraudulent visa;
  • Raises the standard for credible fear from "significant possibility" to "more likely than not."
  • Allows a child to be detained with their family for no more than 180 days during expedited removal and asylum proceedings. 

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