“Mark” was a political activist from the former USSR (in what is now Latvia). In the 1970s and 1980s, Mark rose to prominence as a famous poet. However, many of his writings were political in nature, specifically in support of the freedom of speech. As a communist nation, there was widespread political persecution in the former USSR.
Although he considered himself a fringe activist, Mark was targeted by the KGB (USSR Secret Police) and arrested. He ultimately ended up in a “cage bed” in a mental institution, with medications forcefully injected several times per day. Having endured the torture of the mental institution, Mark was released contingent upon an agreement that he would no longer compose and perform political poetry, as it was deemed a threat to the government of the USSR due to its potential to rouse the masses.
Soon after Mark’s release, he felt compelled to become politically active again. Several of Mark’s friends were thereafter jailed and tortured by the police for political offenses, at which point Mark decided to flee to the US, where he already had a visitor’s visa. Mark did not apply for asylum immediately upon his arrival in the US, which created a problem with his eligibility to apply for asylum. In fact, Mark did not contact an attorney for over 10 years after his arrival in the US.
Although he was ineligible for Asylum, Mr. Slepian helped Mark apply for Withholding of Removal, in which Mark had to prove that it was more likely than not that, if he was deported to Latvia, that he would be persecuted due to his political opinion. USCIS referred Mark’s application to an Immigration Judge, who conducted a hearing regarding Mark’s credibility and eligibility for the relief requested. After a full day of testimony, the Judge deemed Mark credible and granted Withholding of Removal, finding that it would be more likely than not that Mark would be persecuted on account of his political opinion if he was deported to Latvia! Mark is presently living in Denver, Colorado and works for a local radio station. Contact our office for additional information on relief from removal including asylum and withholding of removal.
