Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Law
An Insurmountable Obstacle: Denying Deference To The Bia’S Social Visibility Requirement, Kathleen Kersh
An Insurmountable Obstacle: Denying Deference To The Bia’S Social Visibility Requirement, Kathleen Kersh
Michigan Journal of Race and Law
In the last fifteen years, the Board of Immigration Appeals has imposed a requirement that persons seeking asylum based on membership in a particular social group must establish that the social group is “socially visible” throughout society. This Comment argues that the social visibility requirement should be denied administrative deference on several grounds. The requirement should be denied Chevron deference because Congress’s intent behind the Refugee Act of 1980 is clear and unambiguous and, alternatively, the requirement is an impermissible interpretation of the statute. The requirement is also arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedures Act. This Comment argues that …
Discretionary (In)Justice: The Exercise Of Discretion In Claims For Asylum, Kate Aschenbrenner
Discretionary (In)Justice: The Exercise Of Discretion In Claims For Asylum, Kate Aschenbrenner
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Section 208(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides that asylum may be granted to an applicant who meets the definition of a refugee-that is, someone who has been persecuted or has a well-founded fear of future persecution in her own country on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Asylum is a discretionary form of relief which means that the United States government is not required to grant asylum to every refugee within the United States but instead may decide whether or not to do so. This Article sets out in Part …
Legal Rights Of Refugees: Two Case Studies And Some Proposals For A Strategy, Steven M. Schneebaum
Legal Rights Of Refugees: Two Case Studies And Some Proposals For A Strategy, Steven M. Schneebaum
Michigan Journal of International Law
In a recent decision of far-reaching implications, Filartiga v. Pena-Irala, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit not only identified one such right, but provided invaluable guidance as to how the broader question is to be addressed. This essay offers an analysis of the decision in Filarh'a, as well as a case presenting intriguing points of comparison, Tran Qui Than v. Blumenthal. It then proposes several generalizations concerning the identification of legal rights of refugees, suggesting a strategy for their enforcement, the upshot of which is this: creative marshalling and invocation of rights well …