Constructing the Model Asylum Seeker: An Examination of the Credible Fear Interview and the Politics of Recognition in U.S Asylum Adjudication

This thesis argues that the credible fear interview is not a neutral administrative tool for screening asylum claims, but a process embedded within a broader legal, administrative, and political architecture that systematically disadvantages asylum seekers. While often framed as a preliminary safeguard, the interview operates through rules, procedures, and discretionary practices that shape how fear must be articulated and evaluated. Situating the credible fear interview from 2014-2024—a period marked by the expansion of expedited removal and increased reliance on credible fear screenings—this project demonstrates that shifts in immigration enforcement during this decade reflect not a fundamental transformation of the system, but rather an intensification and heightened visibility of exclusionary mechanisms that were already embedded within it.