Harrowing story of ‘ES’, fleeing persecution to seek safety in US, shines light on judges who grant claims at exceptionally low rates – or not at allAt an immigration court in Pearsall, Texas, in front of a judge, government attorneys and a court interpreter, “ES” shakily recounted the darkest moments of his life.He explained how he had been arrested seven years earlier in Turkey, amid his government’s crackdown on followers of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen. The police officers who detained him accused him of being involved in a terrorist movement and demanded he reveal the names of his associates, he said. Continue reading...
A Turkish man, "ES," who was tortured in Turkey for allegedly supporting Fethullah Gülen, sought asylum in the US. Despite presenting a strong case, Judge Veronica Marie Segovia, known for her exceptionally low asylum grant rate (less than 5% since November 2023), denied his request. An analysis of 25 years of asylum application decisions revealed significant disparities in grant rates among immigration judges, highlighting their powerful influence on asylum seekers' fates.
