This is a tricky question to answer because the answer depends on a lot of varying factors: the state your case is being adjudicated, the judge and their calendar, whether you get granted prosecutorial discretion, and more. The state really matters because each state has its own number of judges presiding on the bench and each state has its own number of pending asylum cases. One state may have a lot more people seeking asylum as compared to another state. Also, one state may have a full bench of judges ready to adjudicate asylum cases whereas another state may be short staffed. Both these factors can determine how long your asylum case could take.
Another factor to keep in mind is whether the person seeking asylum is a national threat to the United States whose case needs to be adjudicated immediately. There is a concept called prosecutorial discretion which was created to help authorities decide where to focus their resources on and decide which asylum cases to focus on over others. For example, individuals seeking asylum who are considered to be a potential national threat to the United States most likely will be adjudicated as a priority as compared to an individual who is not a threat. If someone is granted prosecutorial discretion, this means that they are not a priority for removal and they will be kept in the background while the court processes and adjudicates other asylum cases.
Failure to find an Attorney could also be a grounds to prolong your asylum case. If an individual seeking asylum is not present with an attorney in court before a judge, the judge may award them more time to seek an attorney to represent them. This will extend an individual’s timeline before they receive a final trial date. It is important, however, that an individual does not abuse the court’s time and resources. If an individual keeps asking the judge for more time to seek an attorney, the court may consider the asylum seeker to be abusing the court resources and time and you never want to get on the court’s bad side.
Handling an asylum case pro se can be extremely difficult, especially when you are new to the U.S.’s laws, policies, and procedures. It is imperative for an individual who is trying to seek asylum to consult with an Immigration Attorney. Consulting with an Immigration Attorney will allow you have guidance with your case, ensure everything is filed on time, and have representation in court for all court dates, including the big trial. Contact our law office to discuss your asylum case. You are not alone. We are here to listen and to support, where we can. Give Attorney George a call today at 972-905-0948 to schedule a consultation appointment and get your questions answered.
