Matter of Acosta

Matter of Acosta is a significant immigration case decided by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in 1985. It established important criteria for determining who qualifies as a refugee under U.S. law. Specifically, the case clarified that a person must show a well-founded fear of persecution based on specific factors, such as race, religion, political opinion, nationality, or membership in a particular social group. The ruling emphasizes that an individual's fear must be both subjectively felt and objectively reasonable, helping to protect those fleeing oppression from being sent back to dangerous situations in their home countries.