Ken Liu

Christian Legal Society presented a free webinar, Asylum in the United States:  An Overview of the Law and Recent Changes & Special Considerations for Christian Legal Aid Clinics, for anyone interested in learning about serving those who are persecuted abroad. 

Asylum-seekers are refugees who are physically present in the United States who fled persecution in their home countries to find protection and safety in the United States. In 2018, 264, 973 people applied for asylum in the United States. However, this number does not represent the total number of asylum-seekers in the United States, but only those who successfully applied for asylum. The number of asylum-seekers in the United States is likely much higher, given the lack of access to immigration legal representation- which is either prohibitively expensive or not available at all.  Legal representation for asylum seekers is critical in order for asylum-seekers to even have the opportunity for their case to be fully heard and presented. This course will provide an overview of asylum law in the United States and will include:  basics of asylum eligibility, the process of applying for asylum, and how to prepare an asylum case for Immigration Court.  We will also highlight recent changes in asylum law, including precedent decisions, policy changes and proposed and final rules.  Lastly, we will discuss special considerations for working with asylum-seekers and providing excellent and rigorous legal representation in the context of a grass-roots, faith-based non-profit organization.

Click here to watch the webinar.