DURESS AND THE MATERIAL SUPPORT BAR IN ASYLUM LAW: FINDING EQUITY IN THE FACE OF HARSH RESULTS JOHN FLUD† I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 538 II. U.S. ASYLUM LAW AND THE MATERIAL SUPPORT BAR: THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................................... 539 A. International Foundations and the Basic Requiremets for Obtaining Asylum Status ......................................................... 539 B. Statutory Bars to Asylum and the Material Support Bar ........ 541 C. Defining a “Terrorist Organization” ..................................... 542 D. What Constitutes “Material Support”: A Look at Case Law . 544 E. The Legislative History of the Material Support Bar ............... 549 III. DURESS: THE MATERIAL SUPPORT BAR IN CASES INVOLVING DURESS........................................................................................... 551 A. Defining Duress ...................................................................... 552 B. An Implied Exception for Duress: Matter of M-H-Z .............. 553 IV. THE WAIVER PROVISION: THE EXECUTIVE POWER TO WAIVE TERRORISM-RELATED BARS .......................................................... 555 A. The INA Provision for Executive Waiver ................................ 555 B. The Duress Waiver.................................................................. 557 V. FRUSTRATION WITH THE WAIVER PROVISION: CHALLENGING THE CURRENT WAIVER FRAMEWORK ............................................ 558 VI. LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL REMEDIES ................... 564 A. Legislative Remedy ................................................................. 564 B. Executive Remedy ................................................................... 566 C. Judicial Remedy ...................................................................... 566 VII. CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 567
† I would like to recognize and thank the following people: My grandmother, Rosetta Flud, my parents, Roger and Julie Flud, and my sister, Gabrielle Flud, for their tremendous support through the years; my two wonderful children, Connor and Chloe Flud, who bring joy into my life; Professor Scott Rempell for his expertise, guidance, and revisions to this work.
537