The INS lawyer will try to show you don't qualify for asylum. He will do this by trying to confuse you, to show you are lying or being inconsistent, or that you really came to the United States to make some money, escape military service, or for some other reason, instead of because you feared being persecuted. You and your lawyer will practice the cross-examination so you are used to it before the hearing. After the INS lawyer asks his questions, your lawyer will have another chance to ask more questions and then the INS lawyer gets another chance, too. The interpreter The interpreter, if needed, will interpret the questions that your lawyer, the INS lawyer and the immigration judge ask you into your language and will interpret your answers into English.
Some interpreters are better than others.
You should learn how to best use a interpreter. It is best to practice with an interpreter before the hearing. If you speak in short, very clear sentences, it will help because it is hard for the interpreter to accurately interpret more than a couple of sentences at a time. The immigration judge The immigration judge will decide the case if an INS asylum officer has denied your application for political asylum. He will want to satisfy himself that you are telling the truth.