Is my lady friend eligible for political asylum?She lives in Sevastopol Ukraine where there is much political and etnic turmoil happing at this time.

An application for political asylum is determined by U.S.C.I.S. or an immigration court dependent upon whether an individual has been persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or race. Many people in the Ukraine these days are very fearful and feel that they are in danger, but the question is what makes her fear different from most of the people in the country. If your friend comes to the country and asks for asylum at the port of entry, she will not be turned away, but may be detained by the Department of Homeland Security at a detention facility until it arranges a credible fear interview, at which point it may decide to keep her in detention while awaiting hearings or to release her during that time. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.