From the link supplied by MGOH

    "McAllister and his family fled Northern Ireland following an armed loyalist attack on their home in October 1988, in which 25 shots were fired into their living room. These shots barely missed McAllister's children and mother-in-law. Fearing for their lives, McAllister and his family fled Northern Ireland and have been seeking asylum in the United States. Many believe that if forced to return to Northern Ireland they will once again be the targets of violence.

    McAllister has gone through several appeals to receive political asylum for himself and his family. Mrs. McAllister and her attorney told Rothman that on November 17, 2003 the Board of Immigration Appeals denied Mr. McAllister's appeal for asylum. This final decision ordered Mr. McAllister to be removed from the United States. According to BICE officials, this order also required that Mr. McAllister be taken into custody. The McAllister's attorney immediately filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a Petition for Review, a Motion for a Stay of Detention and Removal, and a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order to Stay Detention and Removal. The Third Circuit Court granted a temporary stay of removal, but left open the issue of whether McAllister must be taken into custody pending the three judge panel's review of the entire matter."

From Larry's initial post it would appear that McAllister's wife and children were granted political asylum:

"A federal judge found, as a result, that Bernadette and the children
had suffered "severe persecution" and granted them political asylum
in the United States."

What were the reasons for McAllister's case being treated seperately from those of his family? Surely the circumstances were common to both. In the link supplied by Kevin, there was no mention of this man's wife and family being granted asylum.