Kiakombua v. Wolf: Protecting the credible fear process for seeking asylum

In June 2019, we filed a case on behalf of five asylum seekers challenging the April 2019 changes to the Credible Fear Interview Lesson Plan—the government’s policy for conducting a screening interview to assess whether an asylum seeker has a credible fear of persecution in their home country and should be permitted to to pursue their asylum claim in immigration court. These changes heighten the risk that the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who go through the interviews annually will be deported to countries where they face persecution and death.

The lawsuit claims that the Lesson Plan must be vacated as unlawful under immigration law, administrative law, and the Constitution.

The case is fully briefed before the district court and awaiting a decision.

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is co-counsel in this litigation. The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (CGRS), and American Gateways are consulting counsel.