"The United States, the world’s most generous country when it comes to receiving refugees, granted asylum in more than 22,000 cases in 2009 alone. While many immigration issues have become hotly contentious, the asylum program has generally enjoyed solid bipartisan support in Congress. Congress imposed the filing deadline as part of a 1996 overhaul of immigration law, intending it as a measure to combat fraudulent claims." (Quoted from article)