**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a developing story emanating from Capitol Hill, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has introduced comprehensive bipartisan legislation aimed at overhauling the nation’s asylum processing system.

Who: Senator Thom Tillis, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, alongside a coalition of three Democratic co-sponsors.

What: The proposed “Asylum Accountability and Efficiency Act,” which seeks to mandate a 180-day adjudication deadline for all asylum claims, increase penalties for filing fraudulent applications, and expand the number of immigration judges by 25 percent over the next two fiscal years.

When: The bill was formally tabled this morning, with a preliminary vote expected in committee by the end of the current legislative session.

Where: The legislation was announced from the Senate floor in Washington, D.C., with press materials distributed to national media outlets.

Why: Senator Tillis cited a growing backlog of over 2.1 million pending asylum cases, stating the current system is “unsustainable” and “ripe for abuse.” He emphasized that the measure is designed to deter meritless claims while preserving due process for legitimate refugees.

How: The act would be funded through reallocated emergency border security appropriations, with a mandatory quarterly report to Congress on processing metrics. The bill has already drawn criticism from immigration advocacy groups, who argue the accelerated timeline could deny vulnerable applicants adequate legal representation.