Ting Xue, a committed Christian, is a refugee who fled from religious persecution in his native China. He now lives in Denver with his wife, a lawful permanent resident who likewise hails from China, and their young daughter. Xue has a job, pays taxes, and is active in a local evangelical church. But if the federal government has its way, Xue will soon be separated from his family and sent back to China. He is fighting hard for his freedom.

Ting Xue’s story is a living parable that reveals a deeply troubling truth: For years, the federal government has routinely denied claims such as Ting Xue’s for asylum. That meanspirited practice results from the steely determination of a cadre of immigration law judges, who wield enormous power over life and limb, to deny claims for asylum and dispatch individuals back to face the tender mercies of their countries of origin. Appointed by the attorney general, these 300 judges across the country do so by erecting a virtually insurmountable barrier for an asylum claimant, such as Xue, who seeks to demonstrate the pivotal requirement of a “well-founded fear of persecution” based on religion. That’s the legal key that unlocks the door to freedom in the United States.