Asylum for LGBT People Facing Persecution, May 2015

At another hearing held in the Hartford Immigration Court in May 2015, an immigration judge granted asylum to L—, a 26-year old gay man from Guatemala represented by Clinic students Elena Bel ’15 and James Thomson ’16.  L— had endured years of taunting and abuse as a gay man in Guatemala.  He fled to the U.S. after police officers stormed into a hotel room he was sharing with a male partner.  They beat L—severely and threatened to kill him if he did not “get normal” and “fix” himself.  In court, James and Elena presented an extensive package of supporting evidence, conducted an examination of their client, and made a closing argument.  At the conclusion of the hearing, the opposing attorney for the Department of Homeland Security conceded that a grant of asylum was appropriate, and the immigration judge, after commending the students for a “well-put-together” case, issued an order granting relief.