Poverty is not a reason to seek asylum. The law states that asylum is for refugees who are persecuted “on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion”.
President Trump’s executive order to reaffirm existing asylum law of the United States was blocked by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar on Tuesday.
Tigar, an Obama appointee, is on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He claimed illegal immigrants should have a pathway to asylum, despite existing law.
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Act 101(a)15P
