Hundreds of thousands of asylum cases in the United States could be fast-tracked toward deportation under a new federal rule that took effect immediately. The Trump administration's policy allows nearly 450,000 asylum claims to be transferred directly to immigration judges, who can dismiss applications without sending them through the full asylum process. Critics warn the change could leave many migrants facing removal with fewer opportunities to present their cases. In immigration policy, even a procedural change can reshape hundreds of thousands of lives.