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
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.
Asylum claims in Detroit and across Michigan
Whether a claim is affirmative or defensive changes where it is decided. A defensive claim, raised once removal proceedings have begun, is heard by a judge at the Detroit Immigration Court, the only immigration court in Michigan. Our guide to the Detroit Immigration Court and our walk-through of what actually happens at a hearing cover how those cases proceed.
An affirmative claim is filed with USCIS instead and decided after an interview at the asylum office that covers Michigan, which is not in the state. The one-year filing deadline applies either way and is the point we are asked about most often. We represent asylum seekers from every part of Michigan.
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.