Residents of Texas who have questions about immigration should be aware that credible fear asylum claims have climbed, according to research concerning the figures released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. From 2017 to 2018, claims of credible fear climbed 67 percent. Credible fear is the first step toward asylum and can be used when a person fears for his or her personal safety if he or she is sent home.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection released the numbers publicly as more migrants continue to seek asylum to gain entry to the country. For example, a caravan of more than 6,000 migrants, most of them from Honduras, attempted to seek asylum in San Diego. One commissioner explained that, for the most part, asylum claims are generally unsuccessful in immigration court. However, judges granted asylum in 21 percent of cases in 2018.

In an attempt to catch up to the vast number of asylum claims, U.S. border authorities have asked asylum seekers to wait as long as they can in Mexico. In Tijuana, the wait to claim asylum was often six weeks before the caravan arrived. The President of the United States attempted to order that asylum be denied to anyone entering the country from the Mexico border without documentation, but his order was blocked by a federal judge.

People who have questions about the process of immigration to the U.S. might consider working with an attorney with experience in immigration law. An attorney may be able to help a person figure out the easiest and fastest way that he or she can gain citizenship. Since immigration policy varies from one country to another, individualized consultation may be the best option to maximize the chances of a successful application.