Why is the Department of Homeland Security resisting asylum for mentally challenged teenager Malik Jarno of Guinea, West Africa? Jarno has been in custody in the U.S. for three years. Jarno's lawyer, Chris Nugent of Holland and Knight (a huge law firm that does a large amount of pro bono work) recently went to Guinea and obtained several affidavits.

Four people remembered Jarno's father as the imam and also an opposition leader who had been arrested, tortured and killed in 1998, Nugent said. Several witnesses wrote that, because of his family's political views and because the government would say he shamed the nation's image abroad, Jarno would be imprisoned if he returned to Guinea.

In addition, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees submitted a letter directly related to the Jarno case after meeting with the heads of UNICEF, the World Health Organization and other agencies. They concurred that no protection exists for mentally challenged children in Guinea, Rosaline Idowu, the deputy representative of operations, wrote May 27.

Jarno's hearing date is July 9. More background on Malik is available here.