The recent wave of asylum seekers arriving to the U.S. southern border continues to ignite debate over the lack of substantial immigration reform and ineffective domestic processes to handle undocumented residents. Immigration reform that has actualized in this century has risen as a response to partisan goals embedded in the American psyche rather than the needs of immigrant communities both living in the U.S. and arriving to her border(s). This paper merges a comprehensive review of immigration reforms with a dive into the asylum application process and the effects of its shortcomings to the detriment of, namely, low-income immigrant communities. With special attention to the U.S. immigration system post- the 1952 (1965) Immigration and Nationality Act and the development of refugee and asylee categorizations, this paper outlines the ins and outs of the asylum application process, critiquing the undue hardships that this process places on immigrants who intend to pursue this protective status. This analysis is supplemented by months of work with the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action (MICA) Project in Saint Louis, which offers a case study-like perspective into the resources available to local immigrant communities and the real effects of the ‘red tape’ that define the asylum application process. In understanding the logistical, financial, and emotional burdens that the asylum process places on asylee candidates, this paper offers a deeper perspective into the complex world of immigration processing and the U.S. systems that fail to serve those most in need of protection.

Julia Gerwe would like to thank their faculty sponsor Dr. Olga Arbelaez for their support of this project.