01 Dec Immigration Judge Grants Asylum
Our client came to us after escaping from a country whose government persecuted him because of his religion. One night, when our client and his family were celebrating a holiday, the police came. The police broke objects in the house while others confiscated religious items and burned them. The police also arrested the religious leader and at the time our client came to us the religious leader was still in police custody. Our client managed to escape to the United States and applied for asylum on his own with USCIS but his application was initially denied by USCIS and he was placed into removal proceedings. Following the denial of his asylum application our client hired us to represent him in removal proceedings. A person seeking asylum must already be in the United States and must establish that he or she cannot or is unwilling to return to the home country for fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. First, we supplemented our client’s Form I-589 Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal. We also provided guidance to our client when updating his Statement in Support of Form I-589. In this statement, an applicant demonstrates why he or she should be granted asylum. In addition to our client’s statement, we obtained affidavits from family and friends that described the treatment that our client had received. These affidavits also described the treatment our client was expected to receive if he returned to his home country. After examining all of the evidence we presented in support of our client’s asylum application and hearing testimony, the Immigration Judge granted the asylum application. The Department of Homeland Security did not appeal the decision of the Immigration Judge.