I put it in quotes, because one can claim asylum, while not actually being a refugee. And a great many people have done exactly that, knowing that it essentially guaranteed them to be released into the USA pending a trial years in the future.
In case you were wondering, this is a large part of why it takes years to get a review for something like a green card application.
Applying for asylum IS a legal immigration channel.
Maybe you should look in the mirror about who should be ashamed of themselves