Trump administration may change rules that allow terror victims to immigrate to U.S.

Raj, an immigrant from Sri Lanka, sits in his apartment in San Diego, California, U.S., April 9, 2017. REUTERS/Sandy Huffaker

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Raj, a Sri Lankan fisherman, sought refuge in the United States in 2005, he had precisely the kind of fear of returning home that U.S. asylum laws require.

In 2004, he was kidnapped by the separatist rebel group the Tamil Tigers and had to pay $500 to secure his release, according to Raj, his lawyer and court records reviewed by Reuters. The group then demanded more money, which he could not pay after a tsunami destroyed his house and fishing boat.