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Ice on Immigration: The
violence in Mexico and requests for asylum
By L. Patricia Ice, Featured
Columnist
Question: What are the chances of someone from Mexico getting asylum
in the US due to the increasing violence there during the last 5 years?
Answer: The chances are low, but improving. Statistics show that the
number of individuals granted asylum from Mexico has almost tripled
since 2007. However, immigration courts have recently granted fewer
than 2% of all Mexican requests for asylum. In September a Mexican
journalist was granted asylum after he received death threats because of
his writings criticizing Chihuahua state officials.
In order to obtain asylum in the US, a person must prove that he/she
has a well-founded fear of persecution. In the case of a Mexican
national, that fear might be of drug cartels, the government or both.
In addition to the fear, however, the asylum seeker must show that he is
being persecuted because he is a member of a particular oppressed or
threatened group or has a particular political opinion. Mexican
journalists appear to constitute a threatened group and are targeted
because they report news that is controversial. The requirement of being
part of an oppressed group makes it difficult for many people to get
asylum because many Mexicans are just caught up in the crossfire. But,
as US immigration officials learn more about the tragedies, chaos and
repression in many parts of Mexico, they are becoming more sensitive to
the issues. Thus, the chances for more Mexicans to get asylum are more
promising.
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