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Asylum Case Victories

"You have changed my life forever."
 - The Advocates' asylum client from Ethiopia

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His Family Gone, He Sought Refuge in U.S.

Mr. O, a native and citizen of Nigeria, was the victim of violent attacks by a Muslim youth group during his life in Nigeria. While playing soccer, his team was attacked by Muslim youth spectators. His family was killed by an attack on their church, and his home was bombed. Mr. O fled for his life, fearing he would be killed ebcause of his Catholic faith and Western education.
 

A Tailor, He Was Imprisoned for Helping Opposition Party in Ethiopia

Mr. B, a citizen of Ethiopia and a tailor, was imprisoned and tortured for his political beliefs and for making ribbons for an opposition party. Afraid for his life, Mr. B made a daring escape from prison and began a long journey to safety.

Mr. J and His Family Were Stalked, Threatened Because of Religion
 Mr. J and his family were members of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority and began receiving threats on their lives for their religious beliefs. Fearing for their lives, the family fled to the U.S.


Survivor of Female Genital Mutilation Flees to U.S., Gains Asylum
 Ms. T was forced to undergo female genital mutilation, which galvanized her belief that FGM is an oppressive act of violence against woment that must stop, and prompted her to later join several anti-FGM advocacy organization. After Ms. T learned that she had been betrothed to an older man and was told about the long-term health risks associated with FGM, marriage, and childbirth, Ms. T fled for her life to the U.S. as a student and applied for asylum.

As a 12-Year-Old, He Lost His Family; As a Young Adult, He Gained Asylum
Mr. H lost his family as a child during the Liberian civil war when his father was abducted by rebels and his mother and siblings were murdered by armed men sent by then-President Charles Taylor. Mr. H then fled with other refugees to a school in Senegal, and subsequently arranged a trip to America where he was abandoned by the school's director and became homeless, without immigration documents.
Attorney Raped, Beaten, & Jailed for Standing Up to the Government
Ms. M was politically persecuted by the government of Ethiopia for her work as an attorney. Despite being repeatedly assaulted and threatened, Ms. M continued her work as a lawyer, and began representing people imprisoned for opposing the government. She was subsequently jailed, interrogated, betan, and raped.
Ethiopian Oromo Rights Defender, Torture Survivor Flees to U.S.

Born in Ethiopia and of Oromo ethnicity, Mr. B and his family sup­ported the Oromo National Congress and the Oromo People’s Congress Organization instead of the ruling party. He publicly supported a political candidate and friend fighting for Oromo rights, and was arrested, beaten, tortured, interrogated, and threatened with death for his support. Despite staying away from politics, he was again arrested and forced to sign an agreement, promising to pro­mote the government party. He then fled Ethiopia for safety in the U.S.

Man Persecuted for Promoting Northern Cameroon’s Separation
Mr. R was beaten and tortured in his home country of Cameroon after attending a political demonstration advocating for the separation of the English-speaking southern region of Cameroon from the French-speaking northern region. Fearing further persecution, he fled to Belgium where he learned Cameroon had formally requested the Belgian government repatriate Cameroonian nationals, and then headed for the U.S.
A Man Without a Country
Rup Rizal was born and raised in Bhutan, but when his father resisted the govenment's policiy of "Bhutanization," his family was forced to leave the country. Fleeing to Nepal, they were not welcomed, and the Rizals lived in a refugee camp for years without official legal status. Rizal eventually obtained a Nepalese passport and moved to the U.S. to study, where he got a job, married, and had a son. When Rizal's employer sought to terminate his work visa, he applied for asylum, fearing a return to Bhutan because of the persecution of ethnic Nepalis and because he had no legal status there, and fearing persecution by refugees opposing ethnic Napalis.
Somali Journalist Targeted for Reporting Crimes Committed by Militia
Mr. H is a Somali journalist, who was persecuted in his home county of Somali. He fled to Kenya to work as a journalist and began documenting human rights abuses for Amnesty International. Several Islamist militias continued to persecute him because of his reporting. He fled to the U.S. fearing for his safety in Somalia or in Somali enclaves in Kenya.
Oromo Man Granted Asylum After Lifetime of Persecution
Mr. K and his family experienced a lifetime of persecution, and Mr. K finally fled the country out of fear for his safety.The Ethiopian government has a history of treating opposition parties harshly, particularly those with ethnic, nationalist or separatist agendas, such as the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Many of the country’s Oromo face officially-sanctioned discrimination and persecution. 
Tiananmen Square Activist Allowed to Remain in United States
Mr. W left China for the U.S. to escape censorship and oppression.  After arriving in New York, he joined the Chine Democratic Party.  He recieved a grant of withholding and is thankful to stay in the U.S. because If he were to return to China, we would face imprisonment due to his membership in this political group.
Trafficked Victims Brought to U.S., Exploited After Hurricane Katrina
Twenty-three exploited workers headed to North Dakota, where they were apprehended and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Despite human trafficking claims and pending immigration cases, ICE prosecuted them for document fraud and placed them into removal proceedings.The Advocates stepped in to help and organized a group of vol­unteer attorneys to assist with efforts to dismiss the deportation proceedings while preserving the men’s claims to T-visas.
Journalist’s Reporting Resulted in Death Threats and Fear
Irfred Kaine was a prominent and outspoken journalist in his home country, Liberia. Following the 2006 elections Kaine was beatan and threatened with death.  Undeterred, he continued to criticize the Liberian govenment, and continued to receive death threats.  Following senate elections in 2011, Kaine fled Liberia fearing the threats on his life would be carried out.
Refugee from Rwanda Fled to U.S. Fearing for His Life
Mr. N fled Rwanda fearing his safety, after he and his father were politcally persectued by the Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front.
Rape, Beatings, Kidnapping Part of Woman’s Persecution
Ms. B fled Ethiopia after her and her children were persecuted by Ethiopian security officers.  With the help of The Advocates, Ms. B and her son and daughter were granted asylum in 2009.
Burundian human rights leader and torture survivor granted asylum after five years of litigation
Mr. S worked as a human rights activist to bring change to his home country of Burundi. Speaking out against injustice, Mr. S suffered unspeakable tragedy. Among other deplorable acts, government officials murdered his parents, his infant son, and his sister, and his wife and two other children are missing. In turn, the government tortured him. Read about his story and how The Advocates helped him obtain asylum in the United States.