Asylum is decided on two questions that sound simple and are not: what happened, and why. This article explains how those questions are actually litigated, from the credible fear interview at the border through the immigration court hearing and the appeal. It covers the definition of a refugee, the five protected grounds, the nexus requirement that defeats more claims than any other element, and the particular social group category that has been redefined repeatedly. It explains the one-year filing deadline and its exceptions, the differences between asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture, and why a person can lose the first and win the third. It covers the humanitarian visas that operate outside the asylum system entirely, and closes with what actually decides these cases: corroboration, consistency, and country conditions evidence.