Legal Definitions - INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca

INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca is a legal case that was decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1987. The case dealt with the standard for eligibility for asylum in the United States.

The Supreme Court held that to qualify for asylum, applicants have to show that they have a “well-founded fear” of persecution, and that asylum-seekers can satisfy this standard even if they do not demonstrate that it is more likely than not that they will be persecuted if returned to their home country.

This means that if someone is afraid of being persecuted in their home country, they can apply for asylum in the United States. They do not have to prove that they will definitely be persecuted if they go back home, but they do have to show that they have a good reason to be afraid.

For example, if someone is from a country where people of a certain religion are often targeted by the government, they may have a well-founded fear of persecution if they go back home. They can apply for asylum in the United States based on this fear.

The Supreme Court's decision in INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca clarified the standard for eligibility for asylum in the United States. It made it easier for people to apply for asylum and seek protection from persecution in their home countries.