Definition

A legal standard under immigration law meaning extreme suffering or harm inflicted on account of a protected characteristic (race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group). Courts have broadly agreed it must amount to more than ordinary harassment or mistreatment.

Examples

  • The immigration judge found the death threats Urias-Orellana received were credible and menacing but did not rise to the level of persecution under the law

Related Terms