Asylum for Political Activists
Have you been a political activist in your home country and have been threatened by the government or the police for your work?
Have you fled your military because of your political opinion and were tortured or harmed by your government?
Did you refuse to join a gang or help a cartel in your home country because you were outspoken in your community against their murder and robbery of others?
This and more could be considered acts of aggression against you because of your political opinion. Even if you were friends with or related to a political activist, mayor, or other influential person in your home country who was vocal in opposition to the police or the government and any of those agencies thought you held the same political views, you may be eligible for protection under U.S. asylum laws. If you have been persecuted because of your political opinion, views, expressions, or beliefs or fear that you will be persecuted because of these beliefs because of changed circumstances in your country or other reasons that have developed, you may be eligible for asylum based on political opinion.
Asylum is a very complicated area of immigration, based on international law. Asylum also has important deadlines so it’s in your best interest to contact a competent attorney as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss the filing deadline. There are different procedures, different costs, and even different agencies involved in your asylum case depending on what stage you are in. Asylum may be an option for you even if you are in removal proceedings already.
To have your best chances of winning your asylum case based on political opinion, it is essential to work with a team of attorneys who have a deep knowledge of case law from the federal circuit courts of appeals, the courts that review Immigrant Judges’ decisions in denied and approved asylum cases. The case law on asylum changes frequently and you need a team on top of it. SGG’s extensive experience in asylum, convention against torture, and Withholding of removal (related relief) will be an asset to your case. SGG’s asylum lawyers have represented victims of threats, abuse and torture for being whistleblowers, political activists or political dissidents. We have won asylum for people targeted due to their gender, sexual orientation, membership in a family group, and religious beliefs, which can in themselves be expressions of a political opinion or be perceived by others as a political opinion. For example, a person whose family has resisted the extortionist demands of a violent gang may have an imputed political opinion of opposition to a powerful political actor.
We regularly represent clients in both the USCIS Asylum Office interviews and filings and in Immigration Court, challenging both denied asylum cases from those who came to us after working with another firm or filing the case themselves and those cases where the immigrant is applying for asylum for the first time as a defensive measure in Immigration Court. If you are planning to apply for asylum, be sure to seek competent legal counsel.
For more information about asylum based on political opinion, click here or call us at 213.627.8997 today to book a detailed Case Evaluation appointment with an experienced family and removal immigration attorney.