Asylum approval rates were fewer than 3% in January 2026, down from 18% a year earlier. Immigrants have increasingly skipped their court hearings. Nationally, 20% of asylum seekers missed their hearings in January compared to 10% a year prior. Los Angeles County showed 56% no-shows. The Trump administration has intensified mass deportation efforts, reopened previously closed cases, and conducted enforcement actions at courthouses. Asylum seekers report fear of deportation, contributing to rising case abandonment rates.