Sample Letter Seeking Asylum in the U.S.A.
By Brian in Asylum | on 2023-10-15 21:42:47
Your letter seeking asylum that you submit to immigration officials is a critical document. You should always seek assistance from an immigration attorney when drafting this letter. Below is an example of what a letter might look like regarding specific circumstances.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Citizenship and Immigration Services
[LOCATION] Asylum Office
[ADDRESS LINE 1]x
[ADDRESS LINE 2]x
Re: Joao Doe (DOB XX/XX/XXXX)
A-Number XXX-XXX-XXX
Dear Sirs/Madams:
My name is [FULL NAME]. I was born in [COUNTRY] on [DATE]. I submit this letter in support of my application for asylum based on credible fear of persecution.
I fled my country because dangerous drug traffickers threatened to kill me because I witnessed a murder and reported it to the police. These threats continued even after I fled the country. These are not just empty threats because these same drug traffickers routinely kill witnesses or anyone who tries to collaborate with the government prosecution in any criminal cases involving one of them.
I was born and raised in a small town called [TOWN] in [COUNTRY]. I am one of two children born to my parents [NAMES). My father left us when we were both very young, so our mother raised us. My brother still lives with my mother in our small town, and both have been threatened and continue to be threatened by the same drug traffickers because of what I did.
The events leading to my fleeing my country started when I was working at a bar. During one of my routine work nights, there was an argument between a group of men and one of them shot and killed one of the men fighting. I witnessed the shooting and clearly saw who had the gun and pulled the trigger.
Everyone in town knew these men who were fighting were drug traffickers. These drug traffickers move in groups and drive expensive cars with clearly visible weapons. They move around freely because they are not afraid of being arrested because the police are in their pockets.
After witnessing the murder, I took off and went home because I did not want to be there when the police came. That night, I told my mother and brother what happened, and we all agreed that I should not tell the police anything.
The police in our small town and everywhere in the country are corrupt and paid off by these very gang members and drug traffickers the police are supposed to arrest and have prosecuted. As the attached report shows, the government of [COUNTRY] is completely incapable of dealing with these drug traffickers and murderous gang members who commit crimes with impunity.
The day after the murder took place at the bar where I worked, I received a visit from a police detective who started asking me questions about the night of the murder. Although I initially did not want to tell the police what I saw, I couldn’t help but tell the detective the whole truth, including telling him the name of the person who I saw pulling a gun and shooting the victim.
It was a nightmare after that because I started receiving death threats from the drug traffickers who told me they knew what I told the police. Fearing for my life, my mother and I came up with a plan to flee to the U.S. with the help of my uncle who migrated to the U.S. before I was born and is now a U.S. citizen.
I am afraid if I am forced to return to my country, this man [MAN’S NAME], who I identified as the murderer and his fellow drug traffickers will easily find me and kill me just as they have killed other potential witnesses in the past.
Seek Help from Austin Immigration Attorneys
This is, of course, only an example of a letter someone might write. You want the guidance of an experienced immigration lawyer when submitting your letter seeking asylum. Never hesitate to contact J. Sparks Law, PLLC, for help.
