Asylum and "Credible Fear" Issues in U.S. Immigration Policy

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Asylum and “Credible Fear” Issues in U.S. Immigration PolicyHaiti 48Many Haitians who flee Haiti are interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard and do not appear amongthose who claim asylum in the United States. 49 The number of asylum seekers from Haiti who doreach the United States has not fluctuated greatly over the 13-year period. All three asylumgateways of affirmative, defensive, and “credible fear” claims, however, have each evidenced adrop since FY2006, when defensive claims peaked at 6,056. The 13-year average was 3,162 foraffirmative claims and 4,324 for defensive claims. Affirmative claims hit 4,938 in FY2001 andsurpassed the number of defensive claims that year, as Figure 11 illustrates. Overall, the numberof Haitian asylum seekers filing affirmative claims fell by 74.5%, defensive claims fell by 65.3%,and “credible fear” claims fell by 57.4%.Figure 11. Asylum Seekers from Haiti12 Thousands Credible Fear Affirmative Defensive10864201997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009Fiscal YearSource: CRS presentation of data from the USCIS Directorate of Refugee, Asylum, and InternationalOperations and the Office of Planning, Analysis and Technology in the Executive Office for Immigration Review.Notes: Data represent cases not individuals.48 For background on country conditions, see CRS Report R40507, Haiti: Current Conditions and CongressionalConcerns, by Maureen Taft-Morales.49 Since FY1998, the Coast Guard had interdicted over 1,000 Haitians annually, reaching 1,782 in FY2009. For furtherdiscussion of Haitian interdiction, see CRS Report RS21349, U.S. Immigration Policy on Haitian Migrants, by RuthEllen Wasem.Congressional Research Service 20
Asylum and “Credible Fear” Issues in U.S. Immigration PolicyMexico 50Asylum seekers from Mexico reached a 13-year high point in the late 1990s. As Figure 12 shows,defensive claims reached 18,389 and affirmative claims hit 13,663 in FY1997. Mexicanaffirmative cases evidenced a moderate surge in FY2001 (8,747) and FY2002 (8,977), but theoverall trend line has declined by 89.8% from FY1997 through FY2009. The number of defensiveclaims has decreased as well, by 84.7% from FY1997 through FY2009. The 13-year average was4,258 for affirmative claims and 5,797 for defensive claims. Mexican “credible fear” claimsduring expedited removal have risen from 107 in FY2005 to 338 in FY2009, but they have notreach the numbers that the PRC and El Salvador claims have.Figure 12. Asylum Seekers from Mexico20 Thousands Credible Fear Affirmative Defensive151210501997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009Fiscal YearSource: CRS presentation of data from the USCIS Directorate of Refugee, Asylum, and InternationalOperations and the Office of Planning, Analysis and Technology in the Executive Office for Immigration Review.Notes: Data represent cases not individuals. The Y axis is larger—spanning to 20,000—in this figure than in thecomparable figures, which have the Y axis set at 12,000.50 For background on country conditions, see CRS Report RL32724, Mexico: Issues for Congress, by Clare RibandoSeelke.Congressional Research Service 21
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Asylum and "Credible Fear" Issues in U.S. Immigration Policy

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