2024 Impact Report
2024 Impact Report
Special Projects
afghan asylum project
In August 2021, as a result of the crisis in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan citizens began arriving in the United States, with urgent needs for legal and social services as they sought to rebuild their lives. We launched our Afghan Asylum Project shortly after with the goal of supporting as many refugees as possible with their asylum cases and providing access to health care, food, shelter, and the other basics they would need right away. After four years of successful advocacy helping many Afghan survivors and families access asylum, the project will be coming to an end in 2025.
Since the Afghan Asylum Project began, we:
- Won 178 asylum cases and three adjustment of status cases for our Afghan clients, enabling families to stay in the United States on a permanent pathway to legal status.
- Answered nearly 300 calls to our toll-free helpline for information and referrals, including more than 70 calls from monolingual speakers of Dari or Pashto.
- Served more than 200 asylum seekers with a total of 216 legal cases and 61 social services cases for clients in 41 cities across 18 states.
- Mentored approximately 500 pro bono attorneys so they can better assist survivors.
- Collaborated with the Asian University for Women, American University, Mayer Brown, and 15 other law firms to support 146 Afghan women students as they sought safety from persecution.
- Traveled to military bases to meet with Afghan women brought to the U.S. by the government to offer support and information.
- Delivered a training on asylee-adjustment to 94 practitioners seeking to serve and support Afghan asylees as they file for their green cards.
pro bono network
Our Pro Bono Network includes thousands of attorneys who generously share their time and expertise to help survivors find justice and safety. Nearly all of Tahirih’s clients cannot afford to hire a lawyer to support the asylum claims or visa applications they qualify for under the law, so the free legal counsel and representation we can offer is essential in helping survivors to rebuild their lives.
In 2024, our Pro Bono Network:
- Helped counsel 840 cases, with engagement from 1,359 pro bono attorneys.
- Donated $25.9 million worth of professional services in support of Tahirih clients.
Tahirih truly stands out in its approach to pro bono partnerships… The lawyers at Tahirih are very responsive and truly experts in the field. At times, cases can be tricky and involve unique issues, but the Tahirih attorneys always made me feel like they had time to get on the phone and brainstorm the best way to present a case.
Erin Culbertson, Tahirih Pro Bono Attorney & Senior Associate at Three Crowns LLP
Special Thanks to the Top Five Pro Bono Firms Supporting the Most Tahirih Cases in 2024:
The Tahirih Justice Center gave me hope, even when I thought it was not possible… Because of them, I no longer have to hide in the shadows, I no longer live with uncertainty, I can finally work legally and provide for my son and daughter— I’m home, I’m safe, I’m free.
Clara, Tahirih Client
