Seeking asylum has been in the news in Florida and throughout the country for some time. Some people remain unaware that entering the U.S. to seek asylum is legal. People are allowed to present themselves to a border patrol agent and to ask for asylum. They are then interviewed, and if they meet the credible fear test, they are allowed to remain in the U.S. while their asylum cases are processed.
According to news sources, many asylum-seekers who are released from detention are given ankle monitors to track their movements and allowed to travel to the homes of relatives in the U.S. Many asylum-seekers take long bus rides on Greyhound buses to reach their destinations.
A large number of asylum seekers take buses from Texas to Jackson, Mississippi. From there, they continue on buses to destinations around the country. They then have to wait for their cases to be scheduled on the dockets of immigration courts. Many of the people who are seeking asylum are trying to escape dangerous, desperate circumstances in their home countries and are traveling with children.
Seeking asylum is not illegal regardless of current political opinions. Asylum is a status that is in place to allow refugees to remain in the U.S. and to work as long as they would be in danger if they returned to their home countries. People who are seeking asylum and refugee status might benefit from getting help from experienced immigration lawyers. Counsel may work to help their clients gather evidence of the dangerous situations that they would face if they were returned to their countries and advocate on their behalf to try to get their petitions for asylum approved by the immigration courts.
Source: Clarion Ledger, “Immigrants seeking asylum stop in Jackson every day. Here’s why“, Sarah Fowler, Feb. 28, 2019
