WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 8, Aliens and Nationality › Chapter 12

8 U.S.C. 1158: Asylum

Created in 1980 by Public Law 96-212. Changed by 9 later laws. 1 new law this Congress changed it.

25 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 8 U.S.C. 1154, 8 U.S.C. 1157, 8 U.S.C. 1182, 8 U.S.C. 1225, 8 U.S.C. 1231.

6 parts of federal rules cite it as their authority, written by Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice (4), Department of Homeland Security (2).

This Congress

  • H.R. 1 An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. · became law · changed (d)

How it got here

2008

  • Pub. L. 110–457, §235(d)(7)(A), added subpar. (E). (William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008) Law text · (a)
  • Pub. L. 110–457, §235(d)(7)(B), added subpar. (C). (William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008) Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 110–229 added subsec. (e). (Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008) Law text · (e)

2005

  • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(a)(1), (2), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted subpar. heading, and substituted "The Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General" for "The Attorney General" and "the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General" for "the… (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(a)(3), added subpar. (B) (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 109–13, §101(b), substituted "described in" for "inadmissible under" in two places and struck out "removable under" before "section 1227(a)(4)(B)". (Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005) Law text · (b)

2002

  • Pub. L. 107–208 reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "A spouse or child (as defined in section 1101(b)(1)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) of this title) of an alien who is granted asylum under this subsection may, if not ot… (Child Status Protection Act) Law text · (b)

2001

  • Pub. L. 107–56 substituted "(III), (IV), or (VI)" for "(III), or (IV)". (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001) Law text · (b)

1996

  • Pub. L. 104–208 substituted "Asylum" for "Asylum procedure" as section catchline and amended text generally, substituting subsecs. (a) to (d) for former subsecs. (a) to (e). (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) Law text
  • Pub. L. 104–132, §421(a), inserted at end "The Attorney General may not grant an alien asylum if the Attorney General determines that the alien is excludable under subclause (I), (II), or (III) of section 1182(a)(3)(B)(i) of this title or deportable under section 1251(a)(4)(B) of this … (Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996) Law text · (a)

1994

  • Pub. L. 103–322 added subsec. (e). · (e)

1990

  • Pub. L. 101–649 added subsec. (d). · (d)

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.