Chicago Immigration Lawyer Blog
At Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C., we regularly advise asylum seekers, employers, physicians, and other foreign nationals on complex immigration issues that arise at the intersection of statutory interpretation, international law, and rapidly evolving administrative precedent. Our attorneys monitor every precedential decision issued by the Board of Immigration Appeals because a single opinion can significantly alter litigation strategy, evidentiary requirements, and the likelihood of success in both affirmative and defensive asylum cases. Matter of R-A-N-, 29 I&N Dec. 739 (BIA 2026), is one such decision. It reshapes the legal framework governing asylum claims based on military conscription and clarifies an issue that had generated uncertainty among practitioners for decades.
On July 7, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued Matter of R-A-N-, 29 I&N Dec. 739 (BIA 2026), one of the most significant asylum decisions in decades involving military conscription. The decision addresses a question that has become increasingly important following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other armed conflicts around the world:
- Can an individual obtain asylum simply because he fears being drafted into an army accused of committing war crimes?