A glimpse at the U.S. asylum process

Zamani and about 60 other asylum officers each see about 35 people a month at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Los Angeles Asylum office in Anaheim.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Asylum officers usually spend about an hour reviewing an applicant’s case before the interview. Comparing their verbal testimony to their written accounts is one method the officers use to discern the applicants’ credibility.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

An asylum applicant walks with Farhad Zamani, left, who was granted asylum decades ago after fleeing his native Afghanistan.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Asylum officer Juan Fogelbach awaits an applicant. In the Anaheim office last year, only about 19% of applicants were granted asylum; the rest were referred to Immigration Courts.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Fogelbach reviews an applicant’s paperwork.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)