AG BONDI REINSTATES NEGUSIE: NO DURESS EXCEPTION TO PERSECUTOR BAR, ASYLUM CLAIMS TIGHTENED

AG Pam Bondi vacated a stay and made AG Barr’s 2020 Negusie ruling operative, holding there is no duress/coercion exception to the persecutor bar for asylum, statutory withholding, or CAT withholding. The decision centralizes DOJ authority over immigration courts and shifts the burden entirely to applicants to prove eligibility, narrowing protections for those claiming coerced participation in persecution. The move is nationally binding on IJs and is likely to trigger swift litigation and policy pushback.