A documentary about political asylum in the United States. The film provides an intimate, close-up view of what goes on behind the electronic doors of the Asylum Office, the dramatic real-life stage where American ideals about human rights collide with the nearly impossible task of trying to know the truth. It is a world never before seen on screen -- asylum officers, lawyers, translators, foreigners trying to exploit a fragile system, and legitimate refugees looking for protection, all focused on the confidential interviews that are the heart of the asylum process.