09:02 PM CDT on Thursday, May 31, 2007
From staff and wire reports
Few immigrants request asylum, and most who ask for it are rejected. Those seeking asylum must meet several conditions, including being afraid of torture and imprisonment if they are returned home.
The Board of Immigration Appeals reviews decisions by the judges in the nation's 53 immigration court.
In 2002, the Bush administration made changes to streamline the board's work, reducing the number of board members from 23 to 11.
A new study by three law professors said those changes led to a "sudden and lasting decline" in appeals that were favorable to asylum seekers, raising doubts on whether the board was providing fair appeals. ~snip~
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/060107dnintasylumprimer.2dbcaae.html