US ends strict Trump-era asylum rules for violence victims

The U.S. government has put an end to two Trump administration policies that made it harder for immigrants fleeing violence to qualify for asylum.

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday issued new instructions to immigration judges to stop following the Trump-era rules that made it tough for immigrants who faced domestic or gang violence to win asylum.

He also undid a policy that made it difficult for immigrants to obtain asylum based on threats to a family member.

The moves could make it easier for migrants, especially Central Americans, to win their cases for humanitarian protection.