When You Fear Persecution, Political Asylum May Be a Lifesaver

While most immigration cases are extremely important to the lives of potential citizens who flock to this country in hopes of a better life, there are some cases in which the ability to immigrate to the United States turns into a matter of life or death. For some unlucky immigrants, they fled their home country due to heavy persecution that put their lives at risk. Luckily, America does offer asylum to people who are in that position.

Anyone who is an alien (illegal or otherwise) physically present in the United States is allowed to apply for political asylum. So, if you’re here, you can already qualify for the number one criteria of having your asylum request granted: you are on American soil. However, in order to actually receive asylum, you have to prove that you are unable to or unwilling to return back to your country because of fear of persecution due to political beliefs, race, religion, or membership in a political party.

The US only protects those who are persecuted by government agents; the definition of persecution can be very different from immigration judge to immigration judge. It takes a lot of knowledge about asylum laws to prove that there is persecution involved in your life back home.

You will have to prove that you have been persecuted in the past and that there is a chance that you will be persecuted again if you return to your homeland. It’s worth noting that the US government doesn’t provide asylum from people who are fleeing criminal organizations or activity in their home countries, nor do they provide political asylum for people who are fleeing economic turmoil.

Lastly, in order to apply for political asylum, you must have been resident in the US for less than one year. Even people who are in the process of being deported are permitted to- apply for asylum and receive it – as long as they have a valid case.

Making a case for asylum is exceedingly hard – especially if you are not fully aware of American immigration laws. This is why hiring a skilled immigration lawyer can make the difference between being deported to your home country and facing danger, or remaining in America.

If you are seeking political asylum, or if you are worried about being deported, call the law office of Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC today.