Under the Refugee Act, a refugee is defined as a non-citizen who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on their religion, race, nationality, membership in a particular social...
foreign perspective
retaliatory measures
Retaliatory measures, or reprisal, is a term used in international law to describe the use of diplomatic measures or force adopted by a State in response to a similar use of force exercised by another State.
Retaliatory...
rogatory letters
See letter of request and letters rogatory.
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Sherman Antitrust Act
Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 is a federal statute which prohibits activities that restrict interstate commerce and competition in the marketplace. It outlaws any contract, conspiracy, or combination of business interests in restraint of...
special immigrant
Special immigrants are non-citizens from certain groups, including U.S. government or international organization’s employees and their families, religious workers, and some juveniles, who can apply for permanent workers’ visas under USCIS...
sponsor
A sponsor refers to a person who takes the responsibility for another person or thing. The common uses of the term “sponsor” in a legal sense include:
In the context of legislation, a sponsor refers to a person who introduces or...taking of hostages
The taking of hostages, if perpetrated as part of an armed conflict, is a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The prosecutor must show the following elements:
The perpetrator seized, detained, or otherwise held...tariff
A tariff refers to the duty imposed on a foreign item when it is imported into another country. It also refers to custom duties or custom tolls. Before World War II, many countries supported trade protectionism theory, the tariff in the...
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of certain countries who are already in the United States. During the designated period, these individuals may obtain travel and employment authorization...
terra nullius
Terra nullius is a term that refers to a “territory without a master.” It is a term used in public international law to describe a space that can be inhabited but that does not belong to a state, meaning the land is not owned by anyone. In...