A recent report from our two organizations reveals shocking levels of gender-based violence at the US/Mexico border, and exposes how the deterrence-based asylum policy of the US is fueling it.

On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked implementation of Title 42, a policy that expelled more than 1 million asylum seekers at the nation’s southern border since March 2020 under the guise of public health concerns. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington D.C. found the Title 42 policy to be “arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.” As recently documented by Tahirih and Oxfam America in Surviving Deterrence, the policy was not only used to deter asylum-seeking but disproportionately harmed Black and Brown people and survivors of gender-based violence.

Richard Caldarone, Tahirih’s Senior Litigation Counsel, used his expertise in both immigration law and survivor-centered service provision to create a new tool, “Survivor-Centered Legal Writing: A Brief Guide.” This unique […]

Tahirih relies heavily on our Pro Bono Network of attorneys who generously share their time and expertise to help survivors find justice and safety. Nearly all of Tahirih’s clients live […]

This redacted sample can be used if an Afghan affirmative asylum application was rejected and resubmission is required after the one-year filing deadline has passed.    

Tahirih and partner organizations filed a brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Texas. The brief explains that the exercise of prosecutorial discretion is a critical tool that allows DHS to prioritize cases and allows survivors who have become eligible for humanitarian relief other than asylum to remain in the United States while their applications for relief are processed.

The Houston Chronicle reporter, Elizabeth Trovall, spoke with Tahirih’s Chief of Programs about the obstacles Afghan refugees face while seeking asylum in the U.S.