Asylum

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

Recent Features

FACT SHEET
A Primer on Expedited Removal

Expedited removal is a process by which low-level immigration officers can quickly deport certain noncitizens who are undocumented or have committed fraud or misrepresentation. 

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FACT SHEET
Asylum in the United States

Asylum seekers must navigate a difficult and complex process that can involve multiple government agencies. This fact sheet provides an overview of the asylum system in the United States, including how asylum is defined, eligibility requirements, and the application process.

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All Asylum Content

  • Blog

Letter to DHS Outlines Problematic Practices That Undermine Due Process Protections for Asylum Seekers

January 11, 2016

Even before the recent ICE raids on Central American families began last week, there were serious signs that the government was undermining due process and not providing asylum-seekers a...

  • Blog

Attorneys Work Swiftly to Thwart DHS’ Aggressive Enforcement Tactics Against Asylum-Seekers

January 6, 2016

After a series of immigration raids last weekend, resulting in a reported 121 children and mothers being rounded up, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) quickly transferred many of these...

  • Press Release

After Successfully Delaying the Deportations, Groups Demand Meeting with DHS Sec. Johnson

January 6, 2016

Washington, D.C. - Today, the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association 

  • Blog

What to Expect From Congress on Immigration in 2016

January 5, 2016

As members of Congress make their way back to Washington, D.C. this week, the prevailing wisdom is that nothing substantive will happen on Capitol Hill because we have officially entered an...

  • Practice Advisories

Preserving the One-Year Filing Deadline for Asylum Cases Stuck in the Immigration Court Backlog

Publication Date: 
December 1, 2015
The immigration courts’ unprecedented backlogs are creating procedural and substantive challenges for attorneys trying to comply with the One-Year Filing Deadline (OYFD) in asylum cases. This Practice Advisory discusses strategies and procedures for complying with the OYFD.
  • Blog

Transfers of Detained Families Traumatizes Mothers and Children and Interferes with Access to Lawyers

November 24, 2015

The government recently began transferring families who have been held in Texas to the Berks County Family Residential Facility in Pennsylvania. Not only have these sudden transfers traumatized...

  • Press Release

Judge Stands Up for Refugee Families, Castigates Government for Policies That Traumatize Children

July 25, 2015

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (Council) welcomed a ruling by U.S.

  • Blog

Evidence Shows Asylum Seekers Appear for Court with Alternatives to Detention and Legal Assistance

July 22, 2015

When thousands of Central American families fled violence to the United States last year, the Administration responded by opening family detention centers, which are detaining mothers and children...

  • Special Report

A Humane Approach Can Work: The Effectiveness of Alternatives to Detention for Asylum Seekers

Publication Date: 
July 22, 2015

For decades, the U.S. refugee protection system has been a symbol of the nation’s generosity and openness to the world’s persecuted. Yet since Congress’ enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform...

  • Blog

Measuring Protections for LGBT Immigrants

June 23, 2015

25 years ago, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation are eligible for asylum. Just months later, President George H.W. Bush lifted...

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