The lack of clarity and coherence in gender-based asylum law is a roadblock to women seeking protection from violence and persecution.

Women seeking political asylum in the United States based on gender-related persecution can get mired in a legal labyrinth that can leave their cases unresolved for years.

Twelve Tahirih clients are among the first in the nation to receive U visas, a vital legal protection for immigrant women and girls who face numerous obstacles in fleeing violence.

Discussions are underway about how to strengthen the Violence Against Women Act to better protect survivors of violence, and Tahirih is a vital voice.

Tahirih’s clients have historically been faced with threats of arrest and deportation from their abusers, but lately these women, who have a right to legal status, are caught in the crossfire of increased activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Critical legislation would help counteract the severe “chilling effect” that exists due to immigrant victims’ fear and confusion about what treatment they can expect from police—deterring crime-reporting and help-seeking, hindering law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, and undermining public safety for us all.

Long-awaited regulations that govern the process by which survivors of certain serious crimes and human trafficking may apply to become lawful permanent residents went into effect Jan. 12, 2009.