Under current procedure, every migrant who arrives at the border and expresses a fear of persecution in his or her homeland is referred for an interview with an asylum officer. Those who don’t can request a review by an immigration judge, but it is usually cursory and favorable decisions are rare. The officer found no credible fear, and that finding was upheld by a supervisor and an immigration judge. Mr. Thuraissigiam was in deportation proceedings when he filed a habeas corpus petition in the federal court. He also said there were communication problems between the translator and both the asylum officer and the immigration judge.

Source: New York Times March 08, 2019 00:45 UTC