Fleeing Religious Persecution
Have you fled your home after you were harmed because you are Christian? Did you get attacked in the street because of your Islamic beliefs?
Did you resist recruitment into a gang because of your religious beliefs?
Were you abused by your parent because of the clothing you wore was not approved by your father’s religious beliefs?
We may be able to help. If you were threatened or harmed in the past because of your religious beliefs or refusal to adhere to someone else’s religious beliefs, you may be eligible for U.S. asylum. If asylum is granted, you could be eligible for a green card (U.S. permanent residency) that would give you the right to stay in the U.S. and provide you protection from having to go home to face your persecutor.
Asylum cases based on religious persecution can face significant obstacles. It’s not necessary for you to hold a position in the church or be an active part of a congregation but it is important to prove that the persecutor harmed you or was planning to harm you because of your religious beliefs. You have to prove you hold those religious beliefs. Proving you have those religious beliefs can be difficult, especially if you fled your home country quickly when you realized that the police refused to help you or could not protect you and you fled with no documentation that could help your case. Witnesses can also be scared to come forward if they hold the same religious beliefs. The Immigration Judge or immigration officer reviewing your asylum case may also believe that you were not in harm’s way because your church or other members of your religion are not regularly persecuted according to government documents. But this doesn’t mean you can’t assemble a strong case for asylum.
That’s where the right attorney comes in. Religious-based asylum cases can take a surprising amount of effort to educate USCIS, Immigration Judges, and higher courts on the obstacles to practicing one’s religion in your home country. SGG’s asylum lawyers have represented victims of threats, abuse and torture targeted due to their religious beliefs. Attorneys in our office have helped people of all religions, including Atheism, the Ba’hai faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, escape persecution. Whether the persecution is by the government or from actors the government is unable or unwilling to control, we can help frame legal theories, research country conditions, develop your case, and prepare you for your interview or court hearing. Most of all, we can fight for you at the CIS asylum office interview or in removal proceedings, helping you best explain your fear, why certain documentation is not available, and argue the case law on your side.
Remember to come to us as early as you can since asylum must be applied for usually within 1 year of entry, with little exception. There’s a lot at stake.