Each year, thousands of people arriving at our border or already in the United States apply for political asylum, a form of protection granted by the government to victims of persecution and human rights violations. People who receive asylum can remain in the United States and gain a path to citizenship, as well as help family members join them.
In order to qualify for asylum, you must have a credible or reasonable fear of persecution or torture if returned to your home country. At your interview, an asylum officer will review your full personal statement, including detailed accounts of how you have been persecuted or threatened with persecution in the past and what conditions would be like if you were forced to return to your country.
If you establish a credible or reasonable fear, you will be granted asylum. However, if you do not meet this standard, you will be placed in removal proceedings initiated with a Notice to Appear with an immigration judge. A regulation issued in 2022, known as the Asylum Processing Rule, created a third pathway for people arriving at the border to have their cases reviewed by an immigration judge on a significantly truncated timeline.
In the meantime, countless people who have been found to have credible or reasonable fears are detained by USCIS while their cases await adjudication. This often results in prolonged separation of refugee families, puts children at risk of being separated from their parents, and impedes access to employment, education, and trauma recovery services.