Asylum and Humanitarian Protection

Overview

How Mann Law Group helps

Asylum protects people who fear persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. These cases are won on a credible, well-documented story, and Mann Law Group helps clients present detailed testimony and country-condition evidence that meets a demanding legal standard.

Common services and issues

Affirmative asylum

For people not in removal proceedings, we prepare and file the application with the USCIS asylum office and ready the client for the asylum interview, where testimony and supporting evidence are tested.

Defensive asylum in immigration court

When asylum is raised as a defense to removal, we present the case to an immigration judge — direct testimony, expert and country evidence, and cross-examination by the government — and preserve the record for any appeal.

Withholding of removal and CAT protection

Where the one-year deadline or another bar makes asylum difficult, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture can still prevent return to danger, though they carry a higher standard of proof and more limited benefits.

Declaration and evidence preparation

We help clients build a clear, consistent declaration and gather the medical records, witness statements, and country-condition reports that corroborate the claim — the difference between a story and a provable case.

What to keep in mind

There is generally a one-year filing deadline from your last arrival, subject to limited exceptions for changed or extraordinary circumstances. If timing is a concern, get advice immediately.
Consistency is everything. Differences between your statements at the border, in your application, and at your hearing can undermine credibility, so accuracy from the start is critical.
Corroborating evidence strengthens a claim. Records of harm, medical documentation, and reliable country-condition sources carry real weight with adjudicators.
Work authorization may become available while an asylum application is pending for a required period, but the rules are specific — do not assume eligibility without checking.

What happens next

Initial review

We listen to the facts, identify deadlines, and confirm what documents are needed.

Strategy

An attorney explains realistic options, risks, and recommended next steps.

Preparation

The team prepares filings, evidence, declarations, and supporting documentation.

Representation

We guide the case through government review, court, interview, response, or appeal as needed.

Common Questions

Generally, asylum must be filed within one year of your last arrival unless a limited exception applies for changed or extraordinary circumstances. Speak with an attorney quickly if timing is an issue, because missing the deadline can bar asylum entirely.

Asylum offers a path to a green card and family benefits but has a one-year deadline and other bars. Withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protection have no one-year deadline and can stop deportation, but require a higher burden of proof and give more limited relief.

A spouse and unmarried children under 21 who are in the United States can often be included as derivatives on an asylum grant. Relatives abroad may be petitioned for afterward. The details depend on your family's situation and timing.