Asylum

As more and more individuals are forced to leave their homes and come to the U.S. under the threat of violence, there is a greater need for high-quality immigration attorneys to represent vulnerable immigrant populations. There are currently more asylum seekers at the border than there are lawyers to assist them. Therefore, BJI is collaborating with non-profits and immigration practitioners in Texas and New Mexico to educate future lawyers to meet this need. BJI provides classes and trainings for law students and attorneys on current immigration law, direct representation, and policy research.

Immigrants entering our southern border may apply for asylum regardless of their immigration status. To be granted asylum, an individual must meet the Immigration and Naturalization Act definition of a refugee and possess a well-founded fear of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, political belief, or membership in a particular social group. The conditions within an immigrant’s country of origin are a key consideration in asylum claims. These include cultural, political, economic concerns. 

BJI students and volunteers have worked to compile documentation of different country conditions to support various claims for asylum. These “tables of contents” will be part of a larger packet designed to assist pro se asylum seekers.