Asylum & Humanitarian Relief

What Is Asylum?

Asylum is a form of protection that allows individuals who have been persecuted — or who fear persecution — based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group to remain in the United States. There are two types of asylum applications: affirmative (filed with USCIS) and defensive (filed as a defense in removal proceedings).

Convention Against Torture

The Convention Against Torture (CAT) provides protection to individuals who can demonstrate that they would more likely than not be tortured if returned to their home country. Unlike asylum, CAT protection does not require a nexus to a protected ground, making it available to a broader range of applicants.

Other Humanitarian Relief

Beyond asylum, there are other forms of humanitarian relief available, including withholding of removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U visas for crime victims, T visas for trafficking victims, and VAWA self-petitions. Our attorneys assess each client’s unique circumstances to identify all available options.