The U.S. will now prioritize the newest applicants seeking asylum to avoid fraud and abuse of a system that has a backlog of more than 300,000 cases.
The so-called "last-in, first-out" plan is intended to stop people from taking advantage of the inundated system, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
An asylum-seeker is eligible for a work permit and can legally reside in the U.S. while their application is processed.
USCIS says the asylum application backlog has grown more than 1,750 percent over the last five years.
