Asylum
Asylum is protection that the United States may give to people who are already in the country or at its border and who fear persecution at home. The fear must be tied to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Asylum officers and immigration judges decide these claims, and Congress sets the legal standard.
People usually ask who can apply, how a claim is proven, and how asylum differs from refugee status. They also ask what rights an applicant has while a case is pending, and how the asylum system compares with systems in other countries.
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All Articles on Asylum
U.S. Asylum System: Why It Exists and How It’s Being Reshaped
The United States asylum system is one of the most complex, contentious, and critical components of the nation's immigration framework. While reduced in public…
US Asylum Policy: How America Compares to Other Countries
For the moment, the United States has fundamentally changed its asylum system. For decades, the US maintained an asylum framework rooted in the post-World…
Understanding Asylum vs. Refugee Status in the US
The United States offers protection to people fleeing persecution through two main pathways: asylum and refugee status. Both provide safety for those who face…