Since the influx of many migrant children, as well as adults from the Central American countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, a revamped, expedited system of removal and asylum cases has heard hundreds of cases of these individuals detained by federal agents at the southern border.
The AILA Pro Bono Project has compiled a list of some of the relatively, small number of cases in which asylum was granted. A review of some of these provides an idea of which cases the immigration judges find persuasive to grant asylum:
A 23 year-old woman from Honduras whose husband was a drug trafficker and was charged at one point with murder; she claimed he held her against her will like a prisoner and threatened her children at gunpoint when she sought to leave. She also asserted that the government refused to let her file a divorce against him. Eventually the Honduran police suggested she leave the country because they lacked the capacity to protect her there.
A 36 year-old El Salvadoran woman who claimed that since 2003 her husband beat her so often her face developed severe welts. He would rape and beat her on a regular basis twice a week. He even beat her daughter to show he would not tolerate her leaving the house or going out in public unaccompanied by guards. She qualified to stay in the United States per asylum on September 5, 2014.
A woman who fled Central America with her 3 year-old daughter fearing for her and her child’s life due to her status as a lesbian. People would harass her, stare at her and even throw rocks at her while local law enforcement refused to provide any protection for her. Family members even wanted her to have sexual intercourse with men in order to “make her straight. She was frequently raped. On October 22, an immigration judge granted her asylum commending her for being “very brave to testify to her circumstances.
From a review of the cases, those applicants for asylum fare much better when they proceed in the hearings with the representation of legal counsel.
The Shulman Law Group, LLC has successfully handled and effectuated many asylum cases. The firm and its staff are well-versed in the nuances and the underpinnings of claims of persecution involving individuals from many countries. What sets our firm apart from other law offices is that we skillfully prepare comprehensive applications that include country reports, autobiographical statements, affidavits from friends, family and colleagues, psychological evaluations, and expert witness testimonials–strategies that predispose the applicant to a higher probability of an approval. Our firm maintains an up-to-date knowledge on the latest case law which affects the manner in which these cases are reviewed.