Amicus Brief: S-K- v. Gonzales

Fifth Circuit: Human Rights First, along with Human Rights Watch, the Harvard Law School Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program and the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program’s International Human Rights Clinic filed an amicus in the case S-K- v. Gonzales. The brief addresses the problematic application of the material support bar by the Board of Immigration Appeals in a case where the Board itself found the asylum seeker to have a well-founded fear of future persecution. Not only is this position inconsistent with U.S. treaty obligations concerning refugees, the decision could result in a more frequent application of the material support bar, which in turn would prevent asylum-seekers fleeing or resisting massive human rights violations from getting refuge in the United States. Human Rights First and other Amici Supporting Petitioners were represented by Scott T. Williams of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP