Latest update February 7th, 2025 10:13 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Asylum Denials and Decisions Jump in 2018

Jan 13, 2019 News

 

By Attorney Gail Seeram

Fiscal year (FY) 2018 broke records for the number of decisions (42,224) by immigration judges granting or denying asylum. Denials grew faster than grants, pushing denial rates up as well. The 42,224 decisions represented a 40 percent jump from decisions during FY 2017, and an 89 percent increase over the number of asylum decisions of two years ago.
In the past year, 65% of cases received asylum denials. This is the sixth year in a row that denial rates have risen. Six years ago the denial rate was just 42.0 percent.

WHAT DO IMMIGRATION COURT ASYLUM GRANT AND DENIAL RATES REALLY MEAN?

Immigration judges’ decisions on asylum applications are not necessarily the same as the outcome of each case. A asylum denial does not automatically result in a deportation order. The individual could have qualified for some other form of relief, or was otherwise found by the immigration judge to not be deportable and was accordingly allowed to remain in the country.
Currently the government does not publish or provide public access to data that would allow complete tracking of the final outcome from all asylum cases. This occurs in part because multiple agencies are involved, often with separate tracking systems. Only a partial portrait is therefore available from Immigration Court data.
The situation is particularly confusing for unaccompanied children from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and other countries that do not directly border this country. While the Immigration Court generally has jurisdiction over their cases, their actual applications for asylum are typically submitted directly to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
If asylum officers at USCIS determine they are entitled to asylum, the Immigration Court will use the USCIS decision as a basis for closing the child’s case. However, the decision to allow them to remain in the country will not be recorded as a grant of asylum in the court’s records. This is because court records only separately track asylum decisions made by immigration judges.
The outcome for asylum seekers continued to depend on the identity of the immigration judge assigned to hear the case. The San Francisco Immigration Court led the country in having the widest disparity among judges serving on the same court. Depending upon the judge, denial rates ranged from 97 percent down to 10 percent.

Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA
call | text | whatsApp 407-292-7730
email: [email protected]
live chat: www.GailLaw.com
Download FREE App: Gail Law
Copyright © Law Offices of Gail S. Seeram, 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | February, 3rd, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Corbin century, fast-bowlers give CCC lead as champs face stern Day 3 test

Corbin century, fast-bowlers give CCC lead as champs face stern Day 3...

Feb 07, 2025

2025 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships Round 2…GHE vs. CCC Day 2 -Eagles (1st innings 166-6, Imlach 58*) trail CCC by 209 runs  Kaieteur Sports- Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) owned Day 2...
Read More
Powerlifting to kick off year with Novices/Juniors on February 16

Powerlifting to kick off year with...

Feb 07, 2025

North Essequibo cart off ECB Busta-sponsored T20 trophy

North Essequibo cart off ECB Busta-sponsored T20...

Feb 07, 2025

Construction progress of five New Stadiums, Palmyra leading the charge

Construction progress of five New Stadiums,...

Feb 07, 2025

Inclement weather forces BCB to halt cricket competitions in Berbice

Inclement weather forces BCB to halt cricket...

Feb 07, 2025

EBDCA/D&R Construction 40-Over Cricket Competition continues

EBDCA/D&R Construction 40-Over Cricket...

Feb 06, 2025

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]