Asylum Research

General Asylum Information

TVPRA Changes to Asylum for Unaccompanied Alien Children:

• Langlois Asylum Office Memorandum on TVPRA Provisions
• UAC TVPRA I-589 Instruction Sheet 

Guidelines for Immigration Court Cases Involving Unaccompanied Alien Children:

• EOIR Guidelines for Immigration Court Cases Involving Unaccompanied Alien Children 
• DHS Guidelines for Asylum Cases Involving Children
• Mejilla-Romero v. Holder (614 F.3d 572) vacating and remanding Mejilla-Romero v. Holder (600 F.3d 63)
• When considering a child's asylum claim, an immigration judge must evaluate the child's testimony in light of his age, development and experience.

Social Visibility Memo

• Memo drafted by Holland & Knight LLP and University of Pennsylvania School of Law Immigration Clinic analyzing how social groups are defined in light of the new requirements under in re AME and JGU.

UNHCR Amicus Curiae, Matter of Thomas et al (January 2007)
Executive Office for Immigration Review, Board of Immigration Appeals

• Brief of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as Amicus Curiae
• UNHCR submitted the Amicus Curiae to the BIA to clarify its position on how to define a social group. 
• A key argument made in the brief is that "there is no requirement that a particular social group be readily visible to society at large."

Exception to the One Year Filing Deadline Brief

• Asylum applicants must file their applications within one year of arrival in the United States. 
• Exceptions may be granted if the applicant can show changed or extraordinary circumstances that are directly related to the delay in filing and files within a reasonable period of time. 
• This brief argues for exceptions to the one year filing deadline on account of a child's minority status amongst other things.
• The IJ granted the child asylum in this case.