![\"illegal](\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/white.png\")
![\"illegal](\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2019\/10\/17\/Yuma_2019April_9A6A2625-600x400.jpg\")
A group of illegal aliens is apprehended by Border Patrol after crossing from Mexico into Yuma, Ariz., on April 12, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nUSCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said the first step after an alien claims credible fear is that an asylum officer from USCIS will conduct a screening\u2014of which more than 80 percent pass.<\/p>\n
He said part of the reason for the high pass-rate is the unclear statute.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts a terribly-worded statute. And its a standard of a standard. Its a standard targeting another standard, which is a terrible way to write a law,\u201d Cuccinelli said during a Sept. 30 event hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies.<\/p>\n
Despite the 80 percent pass rate for credible fear claims, fewer than 10 percent of Central Americans are subsequently granted asylum by an immigration judge.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so you have this massive amount that is just clogging the pipeline thats never going to get approved and is swamping the system,\u201d Cuccinelli said. \u201cAnd look, lets face it. The strategy on the part of the people coming illegally is a collective strategy. It is to swamp the border and to swamp the Border Patrol, and ICE, and our resources at the border.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cuccinelli said that despite USCIS deploying about 50 extra asylum offices to the border, the numbers were too overwhelming, and it wasnt until the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) fully kicked in that they could get a handle on processing everyone without having to employ \u201ccatch-and-release.\u201d<\/p>\n