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LEGAL - LAW LINKS
Legal Research Links
Unlike other areas of law, asylum law changes frequently and significantly. RMSC's Legal Department has provided on this website a number of links that will help you track down this law, including Statutes and Regulations, Internal Policies and Procedures, Case Law, Foreign Law and International Law.

Statues and Regulations

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA):
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=
f3829c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=
f3829c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Public Laws Amending the INA:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=
0c829c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=
0c829c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=
64929c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=
64929c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Other Codes of Federal Regulation:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=
1d929c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=
1d929c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Internal Policies and Procedures

USCIS's Affirmative Asylum Procedures Manual (Feb. 2003):
http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/AffrmAsyManFNL.pdf

Office of the Chief Immigration Judge Policy Memoranda:
http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/efoia/ocij/OPPMLG2.htm

Immigration Judge Bench Book:
http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/statspub/benchbook.pdf

BIA Practice Manual:
http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/vll/qapracmanual/apptmtn4.htm

Case Law

Board of Immigration Appeals:
http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/lib_indecitnet.html

Federal Cases - Each Federal Court has its own website and its opinions can be accessed via the website.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit can be found at:
http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/

U.S. Supreme Court cases can be found at:
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

Unpublished Immigration Judge and BIA (non-precedent) decisions may be found at:
www.lexisnexis.com/practiceareas/immigration/immigration_cases.asp.
This website also includes links to the latest Supreme Court and federal court decisions.

Foreign Law

Citizenship Laws of the World:
http://www.opm.gov/extra/investigate/IS-01.pdf

Laws of Other Countries:
http://www.glin.gov/

Refugee Cases from Other Countries:
http://www.refugeecaselaw.org/

International Law

In general
http://www.hrweb.org
http://www.ohchr.org/english/

1951 United Nations Convention and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home?page=protect&id=3c0762ea4

Travaux preparatoires: Records of the 1951 Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/doclist?page=protect&id=3c07a8642

UN Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PUBL&id=3d58e13b4

UN Convention Against Torture:
http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cat.html

UNHCR Guidelines on Detention of Asylum Seekers:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect/
opendoc.pdf?tbl=PROTECTION&id=3bd036a74

UNHCR Guidelines on Gender-Related Persecution:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?
tbl=PUBL&id=3d58ddef4

UNHCR Guidelines on "Membership in a Particular Social Group:"
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?
tbl=PUBL&id=3d58de2da

UNHCR Guidelines on Cessation of Refugee Status:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?
tbl=PUBL&id=3e637a202

UNHCR Guidelines on Internal Flight Alternative:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?

tbl=PUBL&id=3f28d5cd4

UNHCR Guidelines on the Application of the Exclusion Clauses:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/publ/opendoc.pdf?
tbl=PUBL&id=3f7d48514

UNHCR Guidelines on Protection of Refugee Women:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/partners/opendoc.pdf?
tbl=PARTNERS&id=3b9cc1c14

UNHCR Guidelines on Protection of Refugee Children:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect/opendoc.pdf?tbl
=PROTECTION&id=3b84c6c67

UNHCR Executive Committee Reports and Conclusions:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/excom?id=3bb1cb676