A federal immigration judge granted asylum on Monday to a Mexican journalist who fled his country more than 15 years ago after receiving death threats because of his reporting on Mexican military corruption. Emilio Gutierrez Soto and his son, Oscar Gutierrez Soto, officially received asylum papers from U.S. Immigration Judge Nathan L. Herbert of El Paso, Texas. Now they can both apply for permanent U.S. legal residency, also known as a green card. The 60-year-old journalist fled with his son to the U.S.-Mexico border in 2008 seeking asylum in the United States. According to the Texas news outlet El Pass Matters, the journalist, following the announcement, turned toward a group of friends and family and raised his arms in victory. The group, who supported the father and son through the challenges of asylum denials and delays, cheered. Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, said in a joint statement that the granting of asylum came about through the “extraordinary” efforts of nearly 20 …