Save the people

There is much more to humanitarian immigration than what happens at the border. Humanitarian immigration includes asylees and refugees as well as victims of domestic violence from US citizens and legal permanent residents, as well as victims of serious crime, victims of human trafficking, and special immigrant juveniles and adults. There are also other forms of relief such as temporary protected status, cancellation of removal, or humanitarian parole that may fall under humanitarian immigration.

Under the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, a refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. This same protection is also enshrined in American law.

The difference between a refugee and asylee is that refugees typically apply from outside the US through the UN or other international agencies. After years of vetting and waiting, they may get sent here to the US. Asylum, on the other hand, is only available to people who are within the United States or at least at the American border. To successfully claim asylum and become an asylee, an asylum-seeker must prove that they meet the legal definition of “refugee” - that they have a well-founded fear of persecution because of being a member of a protected class. Asylum is a discretionary grant, and involves a totality of the circumstances. We would not recommend applying for asylum without the services of a reputable and licensed immigration attorney.