Can I Claim Asylum in Illinois?

 Posted on March 14, 2024 in Immigration

If you cannot return to your home country because you would be persecuted based on a protected characteristic, you may qualify for asylum in the United States. If you are granted asylum, you will become a legal resident and will likely be able to become a U.S. citizen. Asylum is often misunderstood. Many people are afraid to return to their home country due to general violence, such as gang or cartel activity or excessive crime. These individuals may not qualify for asylum. To be granted asylum, you must prove that multiple factors exist, such as your protected characteristic and the nature of the persecution you would face if you returned to your country of origin. An Itasca, IL immigration attorney can help you determine whether you may be able to claim asylum.

What You Must Prove to Be Granted Asylum in the United States 

In order to gain asylum, you must prove all of the following:

• The persecution you would face is based on a protected characteristic, including your race, religion, membership in a social class, or political beliefs. 
• You must demonstrate the nature and extent of the prosecution you would likely face upon return to your home country. You should be specific - would you be jailed or targeted by a paramilitary group? 
• Why you fear persecution is important. Have other members of your protected group suffered the type of persecution you fear? Are members of your political party being sent to prison camps en masse?
• Who would persecute you? You must show which group or organization would carry out the persecution. Is it your government inflicting cruelty on members of your ethnic group? 
• How you have been persecuted in the past, and why you were persecuted is an important factor. If your hometown has been attacked by an opposing religious group, for example, this factor would weigh heavily in your favor. 
• You will need to clearly state what specific type of harm you would have inflicted on you if you went back to your home country. 

Qualifying for asylum can be challenging and often requires the skill of an attorney. A lot of evidence may need to be gathered. Evidence may include things like news reports about members of your protected group being actively persecuted, or records showing that you have been persecuted in the past.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Aslyum Seekers’ Attorney

Unzueta Law Group, P.C. is committed to helping those who qualify for asylum obtain this legal status. Our dedicated Itasca, IL asylum lawyers, a mother and daughter team, will do all we can to prove that you should be eligible for asylum in the United States. Contact us at 630-509-2363 for a confidential consultation.