What to Expect When You Contact Us?
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 2 – Definition of Child for Citizenship and Naturalization
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 3 – United States Citizens at Birth (INA 301 and 309)
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 4 – Automatic Acquisition of Citizenship after Birth (INA 320)
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 5 – Child Residing Outside of the United States (INA 322)
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 2 – Definition of Child for Citizenship and Naturalization
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 3 – United States Citizens at Birth (INA 301 and 309)
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 4 – Automatic Acquisition of Citizenship after Birth (INA 320)
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USCIS Policy Manual, Chapter 5 – Child Residing Outside of the United States (INA 322)
Human Rights Advocates
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Order for Restoring Peace on Earth (ORPE)
Restoring Human Dignity: A Divine Mandate and a Commitment to Advancing the Rule of Law
We commit to intervening wherever human dignity is violated, fundamental rights are undermined, or justice is denied, taking every action within our capacity to uphold human rights, honor divine law, and preserve the rule of law.
Email: advocacy@orpe.org
Tel: +1 202-972-5030
Free Consultation and Intake
Helping Asylum Seekers Claim Asylum in the U.S.
Withholding of Removal& & Convention Against Torture (CAT)
Deciding to apply for asylum requires an understanding of the reasons for seeking asylum. You must make sure that you qualify. You qualify for asylum if you have been persecuted or have a “well-founded fear of persecution” in your country of origin based on the following elements: political opinion, religion, race, nationality, or membership in a particular social group.
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There was a temptation to limit the rights of persons to apply for asylum in the United States. On January 8, 2021, a Federal Judge blocked the implementation of a regulation that would have severely limited the right of persons to request asylum in the United States.
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Use Form I-589 to apply. Attach a detailed affidavit and documentation in support of your application. There is no filing fee.
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If you are outside the US, you may apply for refugee status based on these same criteria. Your fear of persecution must be either by the government of your country or by a group that the government is unable or unwilling to control.
If you are able to establish past persecution, a presumption arises that you have established a well-founded fear of persecution. The burden of proof shifts to the government to demonstrate that circumstances have changed and that you no longer have a well-founded fear of persecution or that you could avoid persecution by relocating in another part of your country and that it would be reasonable for you to do so.
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If you are in lawful immigration status, you can submit an application for asylum directly with the appropriate USCIS Service Center. Should your application be denied, you will remain in lawful status.
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However, if you are not in lawful status, should your application not be approved by the USCIS, you will be placed in removal proceedings. If you are in removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge, in addition to applying for asylum, you may be eligible to apply for withholding of removal and for relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
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Once your application has been pending for over 150 days, you may apply for a work permit using form I-765. If your application is approved, and your spouse and/or children are outside the US, use form I-730 to bring them to the US as asylees. One year after your application is granted, you may apply for a green card.
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Asylum Cooperative Agreement with Honduras Finalized (12-18-20)
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El Salvador Begins Implementation of Asylum Cooperative Agreement (12-15-20)
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Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Administration’s Asylum Rule (7-01-20)
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New Asylum Restrictions Proposed by Trump Administration (6-10-20)
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Why Trump’s Fourth Secretary of Homeland Security Just Resigned (10-11-19)
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How the U.S. Asylee System Is Keeping Migrants at Risk in Mexico (10-01-19)
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After SCOTUS Ruling, Asylees Ask Court for Protection (9-26-19)
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An Immigration Attorney at the A.C.L.U. on Fighting Trump’s Asylee Ban (9-17-19)
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What Happens When A Person Seeks Asylum at the U.S.-Mexico Border (9-16-19)
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Supreme Court Says Trump Can Bar Asylees While Legal Fight Continues (9-12-19)
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Supreme Court Grants Government’s Request for Stay in Barr v. East Bay Sanctuary Convenant (9-11-19)
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U.S. – Guatemala Safe-Third Country Agreement Risks Endangering Asylees (7-26-19)
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ACLU Files Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Sweeping Asylee Ban (7-16-19)
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DOJ and DHS Issue Rule Restricting Who Can Qualify for Asylum (7-16-19)
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The Trump Administration Plans to Incarcerate Some Asylees Indefinitely (4-17-19)
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Court Decision Ensures Timely Decisions of EAD Applications by Asylee Applicants (3-15-19)
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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s New Asylum Policy (November 2018)
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US Refugee Resettlement Program Reaches A New Low (October 2018)
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AG Sessions Tightens Rules for Victims of Domestic and Group Violence – Matter of A-B- (6-11-18)
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US Stops Accepting Applications Under the Central American Minors Program (11-09-17)
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READ MEMO: Trump Administration Quietly Made I-589s More Difficult in the United States (3-10-17)
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USCIS Increases Validity of Work Permits to Two Years (10-06-16)
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Expert Witness
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Political
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Religion
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Race
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Nationality
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Particular Social Group
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One Year Filing Rule
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One Child
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Policy - PRC
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LGBT
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Firm Resettlement
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TPS
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Gender-Based Claims
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Firm Resettlement
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One Year Filing Requirement
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Convention Against Torture
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LGBT-Based Claims
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Membership in a Particular Social Group
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Withholding of Removal
USCIS ASYLUM OFFICER TRAINING MANUALS
ASYLEE ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS
CREDIBLE & REASONABLE FEAR FAQs
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Plummet Amid Widely Disparate Outcomes by Location and Judge (TRAC)
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Guidance on Immediate Family Members in Credible Fear (USCIS)
PRACTICE ADVISORIES
ASYLUM: ARTICLES AND REPORTS
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State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (1999 – Present)
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Judge-by-Judge Decisions in Immigration Courts FY 2014-2019 (TRAC)
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Outcome Increasingly Depends on Judge Assigned – 2016 (TRAC)
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Challenges to Researching Country of Origin Information (February 2017)
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Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2016 (10-19-15)
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Chandra v. Holder, Jr., U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Motions to Reopen (5-12-14)
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Employment Authorization: Strategies to Avoid Stopping the Clock (2-5-14)
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Closing the Asylum Door by Attorneys Carl Shusterman & David Neal (1995)
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Seeking Asylum in the U.S. by Attorneys Carl Shusterman & Michael Straus (1991)