In his 1995 book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, astrophysicist Carl Sagan explains the scientific method and encourages non-scientists to think skeptically and critically about science and pseudo-science (in Dr. Sagan’s telling, pseudo-science includes topics such as ghosts, psychic abilities, and witchcraft). He laments the failure of our institutions to educate the populace to distinguish fact from fiction, and explains how the scientific method is not a belief system, but rather a tool for discovering the truth.
I can’t say that I am 100% onboard with Dr. Sagan’s theses, as I feel he leaves too little room for subjective human experiences, whether those are religious revelations or more esoteric phenomena, such as alien abductions and bigfoot sightings. However, as a basis for policy-making in the real world, unverifiable subjective experiences–or claiming one’s own “truth” regardless of the facts–can be downright dangerous.
Exhibit A in that regard is the Trump campaign, which is largely untethered from anything close to reality. The “demons” that haunt Mr. Trump’s world are not abstract pseudo-scientific concepts. Rather, they are flesh and blood human beings, who are routinely lied about and scapegoated, and who are suffering real harm as a result.
You will likely not be shocked to learn that I am speaking here about immigrants, who have been targeted by Mr. Trump since the beginning of his political career. The lies about migrants have grown and metastasized over the last eight years. Now, according to the former President and his allies, FEMA money is going to “illegals” instead of hurricane victims, non-citizens are voting in massive numbers, and migrants are robbing your house and eating your pets. Do people actually believe this nonsense, or are they simply indulging their hate, with deliberate disregard for the facts? Here is a source I am not normally in the habit of quoting, but in this case, it seems apt:
[In] the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.
That’s from Mein Kampf, by Adolph Hitler, who is here speaking about alleged Jewish lies deceiving the innocent, but gullible Aryan masses.
Of course, it takes two to tango: The one who tells the lie and the one who receives it. In Hitler’s case, I have a hard time accepting that his countrymen were blameless. Many Germans seemed more than willing to receive–and act on–the Fuhrer’s message. But I suppose others truly believed that the small Jewish population posed a threat to the German nation.
I suspect that the same is true for Mr. Trump’s supporters. There are many who know he is lying about immigrants (and many other issues), but don’t care. Other of Mr. Trump’s supporters truly believe the former President’s false claims. Can such people be reached? Or reasoned with?
Dr. Sagan’s thesis in The Demon-Haunted World is germane to our current political moment. In discussing pseudo-scientific topics such as the lost continent of Atlantis, psychic powers, and ghosts, he writes:
Spurious accounts that snare the gullible are readily available. Skeptical treatments are much harder to find. A bright and curious person who relies entirely on popular culture to be informed about something like Atlantis is hundreds of thousands of times more likely to come upon a fable treated uncritically than a sober and balanced assessment. Maybe [the reader] should know to be more skeptical about what’s dished out to him by popular culture. But apart from that, it’s hard to see how it’s his fault. He simply accepted what the most widely available and accessible sources of information claimed was true. For his naïveté, he was systematically misled and bamboozled.
Given the vast media machine that supports and amplifies the former President’s false statements, and which undermines the mainstream media (or anyone who presents another viewpoint), it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. So while I believe there is a certain amount of culpability among the true believers, and I also believe that citizens in a democracy have a moral obligation to educate themselves, I also believe it is a bit unfair to cast too much blame on people who are being “misled and bamboozled.”
What, then, to do?
As usual, I do not have an answer, and I think there is no easy answer. We need to continue to identify and correct falsehoods. And we need to do that in a calm and respectful way. These are not easy tasks, given the torrent of lies and the high stakes involved. But unless we can reach our intended audience, and unless we can present our views in a way that can be received, there is no point. Perhaps this requires more listening than talking. I really don’t know.
I do think that asylum seekers themselves have a role to play in this conversation. And they have a secret weapon: Their stories. It is hard to dispute a personal story, and in my experience, even those who are anti-immigrant usually feel sympathy when presented with an actual human being (as opposed to an abstract “other”). I have written before about ideas for asylees and refugees to share their stories, and I think humanizing migrants is a powerful tool for combating false stereotypes.
Again, there are no easy answers. But by continuing to speak about facts and (politely) point out falsehoods, perhaps we can chip away at our country’s divisions, and help elevate truth in our national discourse.
Thanks for all the posts Jason. I think this will be the first time that a US election is hugely influenced by the ongoing wars that are currently happening outside the US (War in Gaza conducted by Israel and War in Ukraine conducted by Russia) some voters have even decided to neglect domestic issues and only vote for a candidate who can promise to stop these wars but it is very strange how these two party system operates, Trump might surely work to end Ukraine war but he will definitely give more Fuel to Israel to continue its war in Gaza and Harris might put more fuel in to Ukraine war and she might be too scared to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. But yeah whomever I meet these days talks about these two wars to be the center of their concern and sadly we have got two worst candidates, and this certainly is not the presidential election that we want, but it is the election that we have so we just have to work with what we have. Seeing people burnt alive in Gaza who are targeted by American weapons dropped by Israeli war planes is truly heartbreaking, no American would want to see what, reading Ta-Nehisi Coates book “The message” sheds even more light in to this unjust Israeli oppression of Palestinians. So while it is true that Harris might be more lenient with Asylum seekers and immigrants it is also true that she was the vice presidential of a man who gave Israel all the weapon they need to wipe out Palestinians. So just as Covid-19 toppled Trump in 2020, I think Gaza seems to topple Harris in battle ground swing states, because there are lots of people of color in these swing states who are against this war including lots of Jews from JVP.
For me, the issue is that we have to choose between the only two candidates who can win. Neither will end the war in Israel, but I do think at least Harris will try to restrain Israel and be willing to listen to concerns from the Muslim community. Trump will add fuel to the fire and also persecute Muslims and immigrants (and probably many people of color, liberals, women) in the US. He would also likely support escalation to Iran (with support from his Saudi friends). For me, this choice is easy and if voters “punish” Harris for the Biden Administration’s policies, they will also be punishing people in Gaza, in the US, and elsewhere.I do plan to post something more specific on this point in the coming days if you are interested. Take care, Jason
Hello,
Sir i have a question. I applied for asylum with my family and our case is based on family. But since me and my sister were over 21 we had to apply separately. My mom and sister are granted asylum.what are my chances to be accepted ?
If one or a few family members receive asylum, it increases the chances that other family members will get asylum. You can inform the court or asylum office about your family members’ cases and maybe that will help. If your family members want to be witnesses for you, there is a process for that where they have to waive confidentiality and the court or asylum officer can review their asylum case. For this reason, if the cases are not consistent, you need to be careful. They can also just submit letters and proof of their asylum status and that would help your case also, and not require them to testify. Take care, Jason
Can i travel to Alaska if i have pending asylum with uscis and ead. I overstayed visa and applied asylum later. But my flight will fly over canada airspace but i will not enter canada or theres no layover in canada just its flying over canada. The departure and arrival destination are both in usa. Colorado to anchorage. With flying over canada. Will this somehow result in self deporting or being denying entry back to usa. Am i technically exiting usa or no .
I do not see how that would be an issue. As long as you do not go to Canada, you should be fine. Take care, Jason
I would not travel out of my asylum court jurisdiction while asylum is pending.
I don’t understand why so many asylum seekers are wanderlusts…
You can’t simply hide in a corner. You have to live life, as these cases take years. Take care, Jason
There are some positive changes in my country of origin. I am worried it will hurt my asylum application…
Have you had cases where the asylum seeker’s country …made some laws to protect people of that group, but still able to win your client asylum ? despite the positive changes of the law ?
It really varies by country, but we have won cases where country conditions improved. We showed that the person still faced potential harm if he would return. Take care, Jason
Has any case of yours lost because of the positive change ? (that might have been won if not for the positive change)…
My asylum was granted few days ago for past persecution I was waiting 7 years, my country conditions improved.
Very possibly, but I can’t think of a specific example at the moment. Certainly it is more difficult to win political cases from Nepal today than it was during the civil war, and it is more difficult to win gang-persecution cases from El Salvador today than at the height of the violence. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I’m in removal proceedings with a master hearing court date next Jan. I’d like to apply for advance parole to see a sick family member in a third country.
I heard that people in removal proceedings are not eligible to apply for it, but I was made aware of few people who are in removal and got it recently! Any idea how did they do that?
Thanks
The only way I know to get AP for people in removal proceedings is if you have TPS or you have a green card that the US government is trying to revoke in Immigration Court (and maybe there some other ways to get AP as well). But if your only status is asylum pending, I think you cannot get AP in court, and if you leave while the court case is pending, you risk being unable to return, as you will be considered deported by leaving the country. I guess you can check with a lawyer about this to research it more carefully, but unfortunately, I do not of any way to get AP for asylum seekers in court. Take care, Jason
I do not feel very optimistic about USCIS but it looks like they have made some improvement. The processing time for green cards have gone from 35 months to 17 months. If that is true, it is a very good news then.
The processing times seem to swing wildly one way and then another. I do not know why, but I do think that overall, for non-asylum cases, there has been some improvement during the Biden Administration (of course, they had to dig out of the hole created by the Trump Administration). Take care, Jason
It seems that the poll is tightening and Trump/Vance has taken the lead in multiple key States…
Should I be worried ?
Yes, you should be worried (we all should be worried). I posted on August 21, 2024 about some ideas for trying to help Harris. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Hope you are doing well. I have a WOR status and considering of re-opening the case. Once I re-open the case I will be in removal proceedings correct and will I loose WOR status and ability to work with my WOR EAD? After case re-opens I will have to apply for asylum again? I just don’t know how will that work.
Thanks!
I am not sure what basis you have to try to reopen. Normally, you would want to get DHS (the prosecutor) to agree to the request to reopen. If not, the judge is not likely to reopen. The only time we have successfully reopened such a case is where the person is now married to a US citizen and is eligible to get the GC. However, If you have a new basis for asylum, maybe that can be a reason too. I would have a lawyer review the reasons for trying to reopen and help you decide how best to proceed. Take care, Jason
I actually want to follow up on this,
When you guys request to reopen removal proceedings…that means that person already has an removal order…right ?
Are most of these people…in possession of authorized stay ? (WOR/stay of removal) …
Because if the person you guys are requesting to reopen … doesn’t have a withholding or stay or any other authorized stay…then this person is unlawfully present…
So…would you say that this is the majority of the scenario where your team has tried to reopen a removal proceeding ? If that’s the case, I would want to ask how these unlawfully present, removal order issued people survive before reaching out to you to have their case reopened
In the case I am discussing the person had withholding of removal, which allowed the person to stay in the US. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason; hope you’re doing well. I was recently involved in some unfortunate incident(stabbed by someone in my apt and was wrongfully arrested) today DA office dismissed my case(insufficient evidence) and will move forward to sentence the other party(assault 2nd degree, felony class E; 2 to 5 year prison) I received my dismissed and sealed record today and I’m planning to file a lawsuit(wrongful arrest) against nypd. I have a pending green card application from September 2023(granted asylum) I wonder to know if my dismissed and sealed charge will affect my green card or naturalization in the future?(no admit of guilt or anything like that; DA just dismissed my charge) thanks for your help
A dismissed charge won’t affect your GC, but you do need to tell them about the arrest. The only issue would be if USCIS thinks you lied about the incident by not telling them. If you filed for the GC online, you can upload the dismissal. Otherwise, you can mail it to the last address that USCIS used to send you mail. I do think it is best to inform USCIS about the incident, and to keep a copy of what you send to USCIS, as then they cannot ever state that you did not inform them about the arrest. Take care, Jason
Thanks Jason for getting back to me. I submitted my green card application on 09/2024 by mail but arrest happened just 2 months ago(I had no arrest history when I filed my application last year) my criminal attorney mentioned if they ask for it mail it to them. I only received my fingerprints waive notice and it has no address. I mailed my application to the lockbox in Carol Stream, IL. You still think I need to send them my dismissal to UScis(same lockbox address)? Thanks
Sorry I meant 09/2023 and arrest happened 2 months ago(08/2024)
Sorry I meant 09/2023 and arrest happened 2 months ago (08/2024)
I would send it and include a copy of the receipt, so hopefully they can match it to the case. My concern is that they will issue the GC without an interview and you will not otherwise have a chance to tell them about the arrest. If that happens, they may accuse you of lying about the arrest when you apply for citizenship. Keep a copy of everything you mail to USCIS and the mailing receipt showing proof of delivery. That way, they will not be able to accuse you in the future of not telling them about the incident. If the case was dismissed, there should be no issue for the GC application, and so the only worry is that USCIS thinks you did not tell them about it. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Can an asylum seeker fits in more than one protecting ground? For example, someone was attacked because he is gay and also because of political opinion ( LGBTQ rights).
Second, does someone has more chance to be granted if apply for two categories?
Thanks you
It is very common to have more than one basis for asylum. Whether that gives you a better chance to get asylum depends on the case, but it may be. In any event, it is a good idea to assert all the bases for asylum, as the decision-maker may see the case differently from you, and so the more paths to a grant, the better. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason
You have ranted and raved (jk) several times about the ambiguity of form I 131 (Application for Travel Document). Well, it looks like they heard you. They have released a new version (6/17/24 edition). It’s more detailed and has a category for pending asylum. (High Five!!).
Keep ranting and raving for us, especially on the backlog and for those that have been waiting for interviews for over 9 years. We appreciate all that you do.
I am not sure I get credit for anything, but a group I am involved with has been lobbying Congress and we’ve made some progress. It is small, but better than nothing. I wrote about that on August 9, 2023. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason, i am 66 years old and i was recently granted asylum in july 2024, my refugee case manager told me that i am eligible for SSI(social security income) and i started receiving ssi. In i-485 application there is a question about if you have received ssi income, temporary assistance for needing families? (Question number 68a). Is it going to effect my green card processing? Please respond it i should cancel it?
If an asylee gets SSI or other public benefits, there is no effect on your status and you can get a GC. In other words, asylees are exempt from the public charge rule, and so you are not even required to answer the public charge questions on the I-485 – you can just check “no” to question 61 in part 8, and then you can skip the other public charge questions. Take care, Jason