This part of Form I-589 has 4 questions. This is where you say why you are applying for asylum. The questions ask why you are afraid to return home and what harm you have experienced. If you need more space, you can write on Supplement B at the end of Form I-589. You can also attach additional pages with your complete story. The table has tips for filling out Part B. It also has an example.
Question 1: Why are you applying for asylum?
Check all the reasons that apply to you, your family, friends, and colleagues.
Check the “Tortue Convention” box here if:
- You are afraid of being tortured if your return home, AND
- You the box on page 1 for “Withholding of Removal Under the Convention Against Torture”
Example: Nayeli checked 2 boxes:
- Race
- Membership in a particular social group
Question 1A: Have you, your family, close friends, or colleagues ever experienced harm or mistreatment or threats in the past by anyone?
If you check “yes,” write what happened in as much detail as you can. Be certain about the facts you share. Your story needs to be the same every time you tell it. Include:
- Specific facts. Don’t use general statements.
- Information about the person or group responsible for causing the harm.
- What you believe will happen if you return to your country.
Example: My adopted brothers, Miguel and Nestor, were kidnapped by the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The gang members kept visiting our home to recruit my brothers. My brothers didn’t want to join. They were only 13 and 16 years-old. My mother brought us up Catholic. The gang would drive by and yell at us. They would threaten the family if my brothers didn’t join. In about 2022, 2 gang members grabbed my brothers and took them away. We begged the police to look for them, but the police didn’t help us. I think the police didn’t want to help us because we are an indigenous family. My native language is Nawat and I only speak a little Spanish. The police didn’t like indigenous people. My husband didn’t want to cause problems, but I kept visiting the police. The police detained me in 2023. I was detained for a few hours. The police warned me to leave them alone.
Question 1B: Do you fear harm or mistreatment if you return to your home country?
Check “yes” if you fear being arrested, tortured, or killed if you return home. Describe in as much detail as you can what you think will happen. Include:
- Who you are afraid of and why you think they will harm you. You don’t have to state the name of the person or people you fear if you do not know their names. You do need to name the group the person belongs to if you know the group name.
- Try to say how the harm is tied to your race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political opinion, gender, or membership in a social group.
Example: I fear that both the police and the gang will threaten and harm me because I will keep standing up to them and looking for my brothers. They are still young and my mother wants her children back. I also have a young son and I worry that the gang will also look to recruit him when he is old enough. I would stand up to the gang to protect my son too. It’s hard to live in El Salvador. No one is there to help you. The police do not protect people from gangs, especially if you are indigenous.
Question 2: Have you or your family members ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated, convicted and sentenced, or imprisoned in any country other than the United States (including for an immigration law violation)?
If you checked “yes,” describe what happened in as much detail as possible.
Example: I was detained for a few hours by the police in El Salvador because I kept asking about my missing brothers. I was briefly detained by Mexican Immigration when I crossed into their country without papers.
Question 3A: Have you or your family members ever belonged to or been associated with any organizations or groups…?
If you checked “yes,” explain what group. Include:
- If you think you will be harmed because of your activities within a particular organization or movement. Describe what those activities are.
If you belonged to or supported a para-military or guerrilla organization, or any armed group, consult an immigration attorney before completing this application.
Example: My family is Pipil. We are one of the indigenous groups in El Salvador. My husband and I were born into it. My husband, my parents, my son, and I were all raised Catholic and attend Catholic church every week.
Question 3B: Do you or your family members continue to participate in any way in these organizations or groups?
If you checked “yes,” explain your role or your family’s role in the group. Include:
- Leadership positions held.
- Activities you participate in.
Example: My family is Pipil. We are one of the indigenous groups in El Salvador. My husband and I were born into it.
Question 4: Are you afraid of being subjected to torture in your home country or any other country to which you may be returned?
If you checked “yes,” explain in as much detail what you think will happen to you. The torture must be by the government or with the government’s consent. The torture can be mental, physical, or both. The torture does not have to be because of race, nationality, political opinion, membership in a social group or religion. Include:
- Who you think will torture you and why.
- If you were tortured in the past and what happened to you.
Example: I fear that both the police and the gang might torture me because I will keep standing up to them to look for my brothers and protect my son. It’s hard to live in El Salvador. No one is there to help you. The police do not protect people from gangs, especially if you are indigenous.
