Defenses to Removal

Defenses to removal are the legal grounds a person can raise to avoid being removed from the United States. They include claims for protection from persecution or torture, forms of relief that let a long-term resident stay, and arguments that the government did not follow its own rules. An immigration judge hears these claims, and the person must usually prove them.

People usually ask what kinds of relief exist, who can qualify for each one, and what evidence a judge looks for. They also ask how a defense differs from an appeal, and what happens when a judge denies a claim.