Asylum

Asylum grants legal protection to foreign nationals already in the U.S. or arriving at the border who can’t go back to their home country because of persecution. Learn more about the asylum system in the United States, including how asylum is defined, eligibility requirements, and the difficult and complex application process.

Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Asylum Seekers’ Rights to Present at POEs

Federal Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Asylum Seekers’ Rights to Present at POEs

Ports of entry along our borders are supposed to be where people in need of protection can come to seek humanitarian relief. But since 2016, every presidential administration has used different tactics to turn people away from ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Mexico border before they even get there. Read More

What Is the 'Bipartisan Border Bill' and How Would It Change the US Immigration System?

What Is the ‘Bipartisan Border Bill’ and How Would It Change the US Immigration System?

The “bipartisan border bill” has been front and center in the presidential election, but it is often presented to the public without clarity on what the bill would actually do. In May, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced S. 4361, the Border Act of 2024. This bill includes nearly identical… Read More

Volunteer to Support Immigrants: Pro Bono Attorneys and Interpreters Needed

Volunteer to Support Immigrants: Pro Bono Attorneys and Interpreters Needed

Are you an attorney looking for a way to provide pro bono legal support to people working on their immigration cases? Or someone who could volunteer as an interpreter for those attorneys?  Consider joining the Immigration Justice Campaign. We give volunteer attorneys all the help they need… Read More

NEW REPORT: Gaps in Detention Data from Torrance Detention Facility Show Racial Disparities

NEW REPORT: Gaps in Detention Data from Torrance Detention Facility Show Racial Disparities

In a New Mexico detention center, ICE categorized People with African, Asian, and South American backgrounds as racially ‘white’ Read More

Torrance County Detention Facility’s Troubling Role in Detaining Haitian Migrants During the 2021 Del Rio Incident

Torrance County Detention Facility’s Troubling Role in Detaining Haitian Migrants During the 2021 Del Rio Incident

Table of Contents Background Methodology & Organization Analysis of Detained Individuals Race and Ethnicity Analysis Placements into Torrance in 2021 Haitians at Torrance Abuses Continue into 2022 Conclusion Executive Summary The Torrance County Detention Facility (Torrance) is one of approximately… Read More

Ninth Circuit Upholds Rights of Asylum Seekers, Rules “Metering” Unlawful

Ninth Circuit Upholds Rights of Asylum Seekers, Rules “Metering” Unlawful

In a decision issued on Oct. 23, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed a lower court decision that found the U.S. government's systemic practice of turning back asylum seekers ("metering") at the U.S.-Mexico border is unlawful. Read More

The Current State of the Border: Crossings Remain Low While Pressure Builds in Southern Mexico

The Current State of the Border: Crossings Remain Low While Pressure Builds in Southern Mexico

It was only 10 months ago when the U.S. set record highs at the border, with roughly 250,000 migrants taken into Border Patrol custody in December 2023. But today, border apprehensions are running steady at their lowest level in four years, with just 54,000 Border Patrol migrant encounters in… Read More

Court Allows Legal Challenge to CBP One Turnback Policy to Proceed

Court Allows Legal Challenge to CBP One Turnback Policy to Proceed

A case that challenges that U.S. government's policy of turning away asylum seekers who legally approach ports of entry can move forward, a judge ruled. Read More

Extended Harsh Asylum Restrictions Won’t Fix Our Broken Immigration System

Extended Harsh Asylum Restrictions Won’t Fix Our Broken Immigration System

We need a balanced approach to addressing challenges at our southern border and our overwhelmed, broken asylum system. Read More

Texas Attorney General Paxton Continues Fight Against NGOs That Serve Migrants

Texas Attorney General Paxton Continues Fight Against NGOs That Serve Migrants

Update on 9/13/24: On August 23rd, Harris County District Judge Ravi K. Sandill denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to halt FIEL’s operations and revoke its nonprofit status, effectively stopping the case from moving forward.  FIEL Houston is being represented by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund)… Read More

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