Mark Kinzler

Stories like these have caused many people to ask, “What exactly is asylum?” Ultimately, seeking asylum is a perfectly legal way to enter the United States. Under United States law, a person who has received asylum may remain in the country without fear of deportation. In the event asylum status is successful, the person may begin to apply for work in the United States. While U. S. law states these individuals can remain in the country, recent government decisions state law enforcement has a right to detain these individuals.

Some Texans are concerned about reports of the Trump administration’s changing approach to immigration law, especially people who have some involvement with the system themselves. One such issue that is causing confusion for asylum-seekers, as well as government officials in both the U. S. and Mexico, is a plan to require people seeking protection to remain in Mexico until their applications are processed. The Mexican government said that it was seeking additional information about the U.S. announcement, noting that it would not deport asylum seekers, most of whom come from Central America. Reuters, “U. S. plan to keep asylum seekers in Mexico sows confusion“, Daina Solomon, Dec. 21, 2018

Rules that impacted asylum-seekers in Texas were introduced by the Department of Justice last year which denied asylum claims of people who were the victims of gang violence or domestic violence in their home countries. The ACLU had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the rules forced refugees who were fleeing domestic and gang violence in their home countries to undergo a higher standard than others during the credible fear assessment. Under the rules, people who were the victims of domestic or gang violence had to show that their home countries would not do anything to try to protect them. People who enter the country to seek asylum may be granted statuses as refugees if they are able to prove that they have a credible fear of harm or death if they are returned to their home countries.

As news stories about the so-called Central American caravan continue to grow and change, President Trump is seeking new ways to block these migrants from crossing the border and requesting asylum. These negotiations follow a series of efforts by the Trump administration to severely limit immigration and asylum seekers at the southern border. The administration has gone so far as to dissuade immigrants from Central America to make the long and dangerous trip to America’s southern border. An experienced immigration attorney may be able to help undocumented workers file those asylum requests as well as complete asylum requests on behalf of immigrants who have been detained or are incarcerated.