Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Clinic has recently had the opportunity to represent an Iranian citizen in the Immigration Court in Santa Ana, California. This representation was pertaining to his asylum proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review at a Santa Ana, California Immigration Court.
The client was seeking asylum in the United States because his conversion to Christianity and any outward expression of his religion would legally warrant death in his home country of Iran. Due to this, the client was detained for several months when he came to the U.S. border requesting asylum. He was instructed to attend this hearing once he was able to show a credible fear of persecution in Iran because of new religion.
Anthony Imburgia, a student fellow that is part of the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Clinic, represented the Iranian client in court along with some help of other students that are also part of the clinic. Student fellows Rohan Vaidya and Holly Fulbright also assisted with the case.
“The freedom to choose and live out one’s faith is an essential human right,” Imburgia said. “Asylum status in the United States provides freedom of religion for those to whom this right has been denied under fear of persecution.”
The Religious Liberty Clinic conveyed at the hearing that their clients will be applying for asylum and protection according to the Convention Against Torture.
The Religious Liberty Clinic student fellows are delving into international refugee law and its application to U.S. asylum adjudication.
