Unlike millions of other immigrants who leave home looking for better jobs or to join family members, asylum seekers are forced to leave their home countries by violence and persecution. Each year, 65,000 asylum seekers come to the United States looking for protection. Their struggle is often overlooked in the face of the broader immigration debate.

Most Americans have little knowledge of how long and difficult the asylum application process is, and very few know that applicants are often detained during the process. Asylum seekers are often wary of talking publicly about their experiences, which is one reason why their stories are often left un-told.

American Purgatory is a rare look into the asylum process from start to finish through the eyes of an asylum applicant. The documentary takes listeners into the process of applying for asylum through the eyes of "H", an asylum seeker from a former Soviet country who came to New York in 2005.

H was represented by lawyers from a large New York law firm that took on his case pro bono (free of charge). Very few asylum seekers are lucky enough to have lawyers. H goes through the process with their help, but throughout, he struggles to pay his rent and support himself without financial assistance or the legal right to work.

H's journey is surrounded by stories from others who have been through the asylum process—some without lawyers, some who were in detention—along with people involved in the system, including asylum officers, lawyers, advocates and critics, as well as the US immigration service and Homeland Security.

Through the voices of asylum seekers, asylum advocates and those responsible for enforcing U.S. asylum laws, American Purgatory explores the contradictions of a process that is there to protect people in distress, but also has to vet fraudulent applications and infiltration by terrorists.

American Purgatory is produced by Olivia Bueno and Sarah Elzas. Click here for credits