Chicago Asylum Lawyer

Are you looking for an asylum lawyer in Chicago?

At Dworsky Law Firm, we offer asylum representation guided by more than 25 years of immigration experience in Chicago and the surrounding area.

If you fear returning to your home country because of who you are or what you believe, asylum may let you stay in the United States legally. It protects people targeted for their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The process is demanding, and the evidence has to be specific.

Dworsky Law Firm handles asylum matters through both the USCIS interview and the immigration court. Our Chicago, IL asylum lawyer prepares the application, the supporting record, and the testimony. We offer a consultation to review your situation and the options available to you.

Asylum Lawyer Chicago, IL

Asylum is protection for people already in the United States who cannot safely return home. A grant lets you live and work here, petition for close family, and later apply for lawful permanent residence. There are two routes to it: the affirmative process through USCIS, and the defensive process before an immigration judge. Most cases are decided on the strength of the applicant’s testimony and the evidence behind it.

In fiscal year 2023, the United States granted asylum to 54,350 people, about 22,300 affirmatively through USCIS and 32,050 defensively in immigration court, according to federal asylum data. The USCIS Chicago Asylum Office decides affirmative claims for people living in Illinois. A Chicago asylum attorney can tell you which route fits and what your case must show.

Types of Asylum Cases We Handle in Chicago

Asylum cases reach us at different stages and in different forms. The path forward depends on where you are in the immigration system and what you fear. Below are the asylum cases we take on for Chicago clients.

• Affirmative asylum. You apply through USCIS while not in removal proceedings, and an asylum officer interviews you. These cases turn on a clear, consistent account backed by evidence. We prepare the application and ready you for the interview. Missed deadlines and gaps in the story are common reasons these cases fail.
• Defensive asylum. You raise asylum as a defense after the government places you in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. The hearing is adversarial, with a government attorney opposing the claim. We build the record and represent you in court. Detained clients face tighter timelines, which we plan around.
• Withholding of removal. When asylum itself is barred, this related protection can still stop a removal to a country where you face harm. The standard is higher and the benefits are narrower. We assess whether it applies and pursue it.
• Protection under the Convention Against Torture. This covers people who would likely be tortured if returned, whatever the reason. It does not require one of the protected grounds. We develop the country-condition evidence these claims depend on.
• Claims based on a particular social group. Many cases turn on defining a group the applicant belongs to, such as a family or people targeted for a shared trait. Officers and judges examine those definitions closely. We frame the group with care and support it with proof.
• Credible and reasonable fear screenings. People stopped at or near the border may face a fast screening before any full case begins. A negative finding can sometimes be reviewed. We prepare applicants for the screening and challenge results that are wrong.
• Cases after a denial or referral. A denied affirmative case is usually referred to an immigration judge for a fresh hearing. That is a second chance, not the end of the matter. We take the case into court and try it.

Why Choose Dworsky Law Firm as my Asylum Lawyer in Chicago, IL?

Courtroom and Appellate Reach

Ashley Dworsky is admitted before the Seventh and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States Supreme Court, which counts in a field where denials are often appealed. He has worked in immigration law for more than 25 years and is an immigrant himself. Recognition from Super Lawyers has followed each year since 2019. He studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Both Sides of the Asylum System

Some firms take only affirmative cases and step back once a matter reaches court. We handle both, so a case referred to a judge stays with the same office, and deportation defense in Illinois is part of that work. When a claim overlaps with other relief, we move between it and removal defense without referring you to other attorneys. That range is what you want from an immigration lawyer in Chicago, IL when an asylum case connects to other matters.

What Is Important to Understand About Asylum Cases?

Grounds for Asylum and Who Qualifies

Asylum is not for every hardship. It protects people who face persecution on one of five grounds, each tied to who they are or what they believe:

• Race, including ethnic or tribal identity.
• Religion, including a belief or the absence of one.
• Nationality, including statelessness.
• Political opinion, whether actual or imputed.
• Membership in a particular social group, such as a family or others who share a protected trait.

You have to show that the harm you fear connects to one of these grounds, and that your government cannot or will not protect you. The steps for obtaining asylum differ depending on whether you file with USCIS or defend a case in court. Persecution can come from the government or from groups it cannot or will not control.

What Is the Asylum Case Timeline?

No asylum case runs on a fixed schedule. An affirmative case starts when you file the application, followed by biometrics and, eventually, an interview with an asylum officer; the affirmative asylum process lays out those steps in order. 

A defensive case unfolds over a series of court dates, sometimes across years, because of the immigration court backlog. There is also a filing deadline that generally runs from your last arrival, with limited exceptions for changed or extraordinary circumstances, so timing is one of the first things we check. 

Once asylum is granted, you can seek adjustment of status after a required period as an asylee and, in time, a green card. Work authorization may become available while a case is pending, which we help you pursue.

What Are Important Aspects of an Asylum Case?

A few things decide most asylum cases, and each deserves attention. Small inconsistencies, even about dates or travel, can undermine an otherwise strong claim.

• Credible, consistent testimony that matches the written application and the record.
• Country-condition evidence showing the danger is real and current.
• Corroboration where it is reasonably available, such as documents, affidavits, or medical and police records.
• Proof of the link between the harm and a protected ground.
• Awareness of bars that can block a claim, which is when alternatives such as a U visa are worth exploring.

A denied affirmative case is referred to a judge, part of a broader trend of expanded NTA issuance that pushes more people into court. Recent policy shifts, including refugee re-interviews, have added scrutiny across humanitarian cases.

What Should You Bring to Your Asylum Consultation?

Bring whatever helps show who you are, what you fear, and what has happened to you. The more we can see at the first meeting, the more we can tailor our advice to your goals.

• Identity and travel documents, including your passport and any entry records.
• Anything you have filed with or received from the government.
• Evidence of the harm or threats you faced, such as records, photographs, or messages.
• Names and details of witnesses who can support your account.
• News or country information about conditions where you lived.

The consultation is a candid look at your eligibility, the deadline that applies to you, and the route with the best chance of success. If you already have a hearing or interview date, bring the notice so we can act quickly.

Asylum Offices and Local Resources in Chicago

Where your case is heard shapes how it moves. For Chicago-area applicants, these offices matter most:

• The Chicago Asylum Office decides affirmative claims for people living in Illinois and neighboring states.
• The Chicago Immigration Court, part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, hears defensive cases raised in removal proceedings.
• Published immigration court statistics show how heavy the court’s caseload has become.

Knowing which office holds your case helps you plan for interviews, hearings, and travel.

Reach Out to Dworsky Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation

Dworsky Law Firm offers a consultation to review your fear of return, your history, and the strongest route to protection. If a claim faces a bar or thin evidence, we say so plainly and lay out the alternatives. Because asylum has filing deadlines, an early review is worth scheduling. A Chicago asylum lawyer is ready to hear your case. Contact us to arrange a consultation.