Governor Phil Scott signed a law that ends child marriage in the state by raising the legal age for marriage to 18 without exceptions. This victory makes Vermont the 8th state to completely end child marriage and comes after years of advocacy by the sponsor, Rep. Carol Ode, and advocates in Vermont to ensure that children can no longer be coerced into marriage

Several bills that would create an exceptionally harsh system of deterrence and punishment for immigrants and asylum seekers in need of protection are being considered by the Texas state legislature. If passed, these bills would lead to criminalization, imprisonment, or expulsion back to dangerous conditions that survivors of violence originally fled when coming the U.S. seeking safety.

Last week, the U.S. and Canadian governments expanded their 2002 “safe third country” agreement to allow both countries to expel vulnerable people seeking asylum who have crossed the countries’ shared border in between ports of entry. The expansion of the deal was negotiated in secret a year ago and became effective just three days after its announcement on March 25.

Tahirih Justice Center benefits from our generous network of pro bono attorneys from law firms and corporate partners who donate their time and expertise to create a world where women […]

This International Women’s Day, I’m inspired by the girls and women around the world who are fighting for their human rights.

Today, the Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed rule that would drastically limit eligibility for asylum for many people seeking safety at our Southern border. Under these new regulations, a person seeking asylum at a U.S. port of entry on the Southern border who does not have an appointment or traveled through another country without applying for protection there first will be considered ineligible for asylum here – with few exceptions. This asylum ban cuts off a critical path to safety for survivors and sends them back to dangerous conditions where they often face further violence and trauma. 

The Tahirih Justice Center has released two new reports that underscore the urgent need to take action against child marriage in the United States. These reports reveal alarming new data and call for long overdue legislative action at the state and federal levels to protect all children from the harms of child marriage.