removed. The admitted asylees are admitted because they have made a colorable claim in the interview, and are accordingly entitled to a hearing. They are released pending that hearing.

The system is broken, possibly, because there are insufficient judges to hear those cases such that the wait time for hearing is up to four years.

The system is broken, possibly, because the original interviewer does not have the authority to do more than determine whether the application states a permissible reason, but not to make a finding of fact as to eligibility.

The system is broken, possibly, because there are insufficient detention facilities to house applicants pending determination of their cases.

The system is broken, possibly, because allowable legal non-amnesty immigration quota numbers are too low given the US need for workers and the desire of potential workers from south of our southern border to work here. Nature abhors a vacuum.

But that doesn’t make an individual claiming asylum and waiting for a hearing to determine his claim, no matter how weak it ultimately may be found to be, an “illegal” immigrant.