Tahirih Awarded $1,175,000 in the FY2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill: Funding to support expanded services and implementation of legislative protections
In the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (HR 2764), Congress designated $1,175,000 through the Edward Byrne Justice Grant program to the Tahirih Justice Center so that it can increase its efforts to protect women and girls fleeing human rights abuses. The final amount Tahirih will receive is yet to be determined and will be reduced by some percentage during the final distribution process. This support reflects a valuable commitment to immigrant women and girls fleeing violence and exhibits confidence in the Tahirih Justice Center as a distinguished advocate for the courageous women we serve. This appropriations request was sponsored by Representative James Moran (D-VA) and supported by Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA), Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), Senator John Warner (R-VA), and Senator James Webb (D-VA).
The funding will be budgeted over two years and will enable Tahirih to address an urgent need for services to immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence. In addition to supporting Tahirih’s ongoing legal services, the funding will be used to work towards full implementation of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA), which protects foreign women.
This award will enable us to respond as we continue to see an increased demand for our services and feel an urgent need to increase our capacity. On average, we receive 30 pleas for help each week. Currently, we have over 50 pre-screened service seekers on our waitlist, with an anticipated wait period of 9.5 weeks before they are able to receive our services. Despite the ever-growing need for our services, Tahirih has continued to maintain a 99% success rate in the cases that we litigate.
