Asylum Law | ILRC

Many people come to the United States seeking protection because they have suffered persecution or fear that they will be harmed if they return to their home country. Asylum is a form of protection our government may grant to someone fleeing their country because they fear they will be harmed based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. This area of immigration law is very complicated but is essential to those fleeing their countries in search of safety.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) builds the capacity of immigration advocates to assist immigrants in their claims for asylum in order to provide more immigrants with a meaningful chance at justice. As experts in the field, the ILRC publishes The Essentials of Asylum Law, a manual which provides a thorough review of asylum law with practice tips. In addition, the ILRC hosts several webinars on asylum law and emerging issues. We also support practitioners in their specific cases through our Attorney of the Day (AOD) technical assistance service.

Latest in Asylum

ILRC Submits Comment on EOIR Rule

10/04/2019

On August 26, 2019, the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) published an interim final rule, effective immediately, with a request for public comments by October 25, 2019. ILRC posted a templated comment urging programs to send in their own responses. ILRC has also submitted its own comments. Here are a few important points regarding the rule: The rule portrays...

Unaccompanied Children and the One-Year Filing Deadline

10/03/2019

Although the TVPRA exempts unaccompanied children (UCs) from the one-year filing deadline for asylum, the current administration has been attempting to erode these protections. As a result, many UCs are at risk of losing their statutory protections and being subjected to the one-year filing deadline. This practice advisory provides UC advocates with an overview of the deadline, the exceptions for...

Screening for Immigration Relief: Client Intake Form and Notes

09/19/2019

This resource is a comprehensive client intake form meant to assist practitioners in screening for immigration relief options. Accompanying the intake form are notes to assist practitioners in spotting issues and relief options.

Template Comment to Oppose the DOJ Rule Eliminating the Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) and Placing the Recognition and Accreditation Program (R & A Program) Under the Office of Policy

09/16/2019

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center created this template to help you draft your own comments in opposition to this interim rule with request for comment. The new rule can be found here . Comments are due by October 25, 2019. We are very concerned about this rule’s “reorganization” at EOIR that eliminates OLAP, the office that has operated the Recognition and Accreditation (R & A) Program and...

Humanitarian Forms of Relief Part II: Asylum & SIJS

08/15/2019

This practice advisory is the second resource in a two-part series on Humanitarian Forms of Relief for noncitizen victims of violence, serious crimes and persecution. They include: T nonimmigrant status, U nonimmigrant status, VAWA self-petition, asylum, and special immigrant juvenile status. The first advisory focused on giving an overview of VAWA, U, and T Visas. Including, eligibility...