This documentary film takes us to an in-depth look at the asylum process of the federal U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Foreigners that are already in the United States, having fled their home countries, have the opportunity to apply for asylum through the INS. If a person's case establishes a "well-founded fear" of his/her home country, the adjudicating immigration officer approves his/her asylum application. If a person's case does not quite meet up to the officer's expectation of a "well-founded fear," it is referred to an immigration judge for a decision.