Asylum

At Manesh & Mizrahi, we are dedicated to helping people secure a safe haven here in the U.S. This is not just an aspect of law we practice; it is the cornerstone of our practice and a personal passion of every attorney in this office. We have represented asylum seekers from many countries with optimum results.

Under U.S. laws, foreign nationals who have been persecuted or fear persecution in their home countries can benefit from the protection of the U.S. government. Asylum may be granted to foreigners who can establish a well-founded fear of persecution if they were returned to their home countries based upon their political opinion, race, religion, nationality, or membership in a particular social group.

Asylum can be granted to people just arriving in the U.S., or to people who are already physically in the country. If you are arriving in the U.S., you may ask for asylum at the port of entry.  If you are already in the U.S. you or your attorney must prepare and file an I-589 form (Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal) within a year of your arrival, whether you are residing in the country legally or illegally.

Furthermore, in order to be granted asylum, you must present sufficient evidence or show proof that you were persecuted, or are at risk of persecution should you return to your home country.

You can also seek asylum as a defense to pending deportation proceedings. If you have been denied asylum by the Immigration Court in the past, you may be able to file a Motion to Reopen based on new evidence or circumstances.  It can be very difficult to prove that you experienced persecution, especially because there is rarely documentary evidence of your persecution.

However, an experienced attorney who understands how to properly prepare, file, and present an asylum case and prepare and accompany you for the asylum interview can greatly increase your chances of obtaining asylum in the U.S.

Our clients have received asylum based on a number of reasons including the following examples:

• religious persecution, including persecution of Bahais, Jews, Christians, Sunni Muslims, Zoroastrians and Sufis or conversion to another religion, in Iran
• involuntary sterilization
• political opinion
• imputed political opinion
• domestic violence
• sexual orientation
• military conscription
• whistle blowing of government corruption
• membership in a family group
• ethnic persecution, including Kurds, Afghans, and Azeris in Iran.

For Farsi and Spanish asylum seekers, we offer comprehensive language services.