The success rate for those seeking asylum in the U. S. has risen dramatically in 2010, largely due to increased legal representation in U. S. immigration courts, according to an article in the National Law Journal. In 1986, almost 90% of asylum requests were denied, compared to only 50% in 2010, a record low.
Having legal representation was a major factor. In 2010, those with legal representation had a 54% chance of success, while those without had only an 11% chance. Another major factor was the particular judge assigned to the case. For example, in the New York immigration court, which handled the most cases in the 2008-2010 fiscal year, one judge denied asylum 6% of the time, while another denied it 70% of the time. The average disparity in denial rates among judges sitting on the same court was 39 percentage points during this period.
This data comes from a report by a nonpartisan research organization at Syracuse University.
For more, go to the full article.
Click here to read about some recent successes from the University of Connecticut Asylum and Human Rights Clinic.
