Immigrants Use Asylum Applications to Delay Possible Deportation

MIriam Jordan, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 17, 2016 - "Since the election of Donald Trump to the White House, immigrants have been rushing to apply for asylum—with cases many are unlikely to win—in order to remain in the country legally for a time. The controversial tactic temporarily lifts the threat of deportation from undocumented immigrants. The asylum claims also enable applicants to obtain work permits and driver’s licenses while their cases crawl through the adjudication process. “We are doing more and more of these cases,” said Jerome Lee, an immigration attorney in Norcross, Ga. “It’s an aggressive technique.” Government data that would capture the recent surge in such applications isn’t yet available. But an American Immigration Lawyers Association advisory last month outlining “ethical considerations” relevant to such applications said, “the practice has become widespread.” The strategy is hotly debated in the legal community, with some attorneys saying that applicants with bona fide claims are disadvantaged by a backlog exacerbated by those whose cases lack merit. Critics also say many immigrants don’t understand the risks. Other attorneys say they employ the strategy only under certain circumstances."