09 Jul 2019
IJ Asylum Grant: Guatemala, Gender
Former IJ Jeffrey S. Chase writes: "[Here] is a recent (May 20) grant of asylum by IJ Steve Morley in Philadelphia, who, you may remember, was the IJ who was targeted and had cases taken off his docket for refusing to order a minor respondent removed without proof that he had received proper notice, in spite of Sessions’ interest in the case. Judge Morley granted asylum in a written decision based on a particular social group consisting of “Guatemalan women.” This case is unusual in that the asylum-seeker was not found to have suffered past persecution; Judge Morley found a well-founded fear based on a “pattern or practice” of persecution against women in Guatemala, based on evidence that 45 percent of women in Guatemala have suffered violence in their lifetimes. This is a true hero of judicial independence."
[Hats off to Adriana Mitchell!]