"Immigration Judge Samuel Williams spent nearly three hours pressing a gay Iranian asylum seeker on intimate details of his same-sex relationship during a spring 2025 hearing, questions which advocates say reflect troubling misunderstandings about how LGBTQ+ people survive in countries where being out can be deadly."
"His attorney, Rebekah Wolf of the American Immigration Council, called the case a 'textbook' asylum claim, but said the judge's line of questioning suggested an expectation that applicants must 'prove' their sexuality in ways that don't reflect real-world danger."
"Legal experts, including Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, warn that credibility assessments in these cases can be shaped by bias, particularly when judges don't fully understand the risks of disclosure in hostile environments."
A hearing in New Mexico has raised alarms about the treatment of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in US immigration courts. Immigration Judge Samuel Williams questioned a gay Iranian asylum seeker for nearly three hours about intimate details of his same-sex relationship. Advocates argue that such questioning reflects a misunderstanding of the dangers LGBTQ+ individuals face in their home countries. Legal experts warn that biases can influence credibility assessments, and the case underscores systemic issues within US immigration courts, where oversight is limited and judges are appointed by the Justice Department.
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