new york/washington raj sri lankan fisherman seek refuge unite state 2005 precisely kind fear return home u.s. asylum laws require 2004 kidnap separatist rebel group tamil tigers pay 500 secure release accord raj lawyer court record review reuters group demand money could pay tsunami destroy house fish boat raj 42 ask first name use sensitive nature situation decide flee board plane use false canadian passport request asylum upon arrive unite state catch however u.s. laws ban immigration anyone provide `` material support `` terrorists tamil tigers designate terrorist group unite state judge rule raj 's ransom payment constitute material support read excerpt letter petition u.s. government waiver case tmsnrt.rs/2opsqqm ultimately raj grant asylum 2011 rule allow waivers people provide aid terrorists duress live san diego california work indian restaurant hop become citizen read excerpt letter u.s. government grant waiver tmsnrt.rs/2opy7yx raj say big relief finally receive green card around year receive asylum terrorist say trump administration debate whether rescind waivers allow raj tens thousands others immigrate unite state past decade see graphic waivers tmsnrt.rs/2opssio immigration hardliners concern exemptions could allow terrorists slip country u.s. president donald trump direct secretaries state homeland security consultation attorney general consider abolish waivers executive order march directive overshadow order temporary ban refugees travelers six mostly muslim nations ban refugees travel challenge lawsuits implementation suspend pending full hear court waiver review include court rule part order remain effect rule govern waivers hammer last decade democratic republican support recent years draw fire conservative lawmakers include attorney general jeff sessions senator state department official say week department work dhs review waivers look actually pull back accordance executive order official speak condition anonymity decline give detail time review likely outcome department justice decline comment follow sept. 11 2001 attack congress expand definition could consider terrorist constitute material support terrorism rule know terrorism relate inadmissibility ground change ensnare people like raj coerce inadvertently provide support terrorists well members persecute ethnic group support rebel organizations even u.s.-allied group fight authoritarian regimes without exemption members kurdish group battle saddam hussein force iraq hmong group fight alongside u.s. troop vietnam cubans fight fidel castro regime would allow immigrate unite state exemptions u.s. authorities discretion grant people residency unite state pass background check find pose threat national security congress initially pass waivers terrorism bar 2007 bipartisan support years follow bush obama administrations add additional group circumstances exemptions u.s. citizenship immigration service uscis grant nearly 22,000 trig exemptions total last decade accord late data available go september 2016. state department also grant trig exemptions spokesman could provide data many refugees myanmar large single group beneficiaries date trig exemptions grant uscis 6,700 waivers wave myanmar refugees date 2006 u.s. secretary state condoleezza rice rule thousands members karen ethnic group live camp thailand could resettle unite state even support political wing arm group fight country military regime one high-profile supporter scrap waivers house representatives judiciary committee chairman bob goodlatte republican virginia whose staffers instrumental draft trump travel ban goodlatte tell reuters please trump administration review dangerous policy group favor strict immigration laws also applaud review rosemary jenks director government relations numbersusa call waivers potential security risk personally think bureaucrat decide much support terrorism enough bar say uscis spokeswoman ask recipient exemption ever involve terrorism-related case arrive unite state refer reuters federal bureau investigation say question state department answer know case beneficiaries exemptions get trouble arrive state department official say note department typically track people arrive unite state trump order review waivers another example attempt address non-existent phantom problem say eric schwartz serve state department obama administration schwartz immigration advocate say waivers grant lengthy review extremely difficult get case-by-case exemptions people represent threat unite state rather catch unfortunate circumstances say schwartz raj initial rule ransom payment support terrorist group lead two years u.s. immigration detention follow years electronic monitor waiver allow bring wife unite state nine years apart study nurse trump administration may change rule allow terror victims immigrate u.s