On April 15, 2011, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law a bill that greatly expands and streamlines Virginia’s protective order statute, filling a gaping hole in the current law and providing better access to protection for many of Tahirih’s clients. Protective orders, more commonly known as restraining orders, are civil court orders issued to [...]
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The Tahirih Justice Center has worked to draw attention to the challenges facing women and girls who seek protection under the current US asylum system, and we applaud and deeply appreciate the recent introduction of critical legislation that would greatly assist Tahirih’s clients.
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On February 26, 2010, a delegation of former clients from Tahirih’s Wings visited Capitol Hill to convey deep appreciation to our local Virginia Congressmen, Jim Moran and Frank Wolf, for their longstanding support. Tahirih’s Wings is a group of courageous women who have organized to support each other, to speak out against the violence they [...]
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Around the globe, violence takes the lives of millions of women and girls and denies countless others their dignity and the chance to live safe, productive lives. On February 4, 2010, the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) was re-introduced in both the House and Senate. This groundbreaking bi-partisan legislation was co-sponsored by Representatives Poe [...]
Read more...UPDATE: This important legislation was just reintroduced on September 21st, 2011, in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Stark and Moran, together with Congresswoman Lofgren.
On March 10, 2010, Congressmen Jim Moran and Pete Stark, and Congresswoman Diane Watson introduced the Restoring Protection for Victims of Persecution Act [HR 4800], a bill which would eliminate the [...]
Over the last decade, the United States’ commitment to protect women and girls fleeing violent human rights abuses has been called into question. Conflicting and incoherent judicial decisions on female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and other forms of gender-based violence have made it difficult for many women and girls to successfully petition for asylum in [...]
Read more...Tahirih helps many clients who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and related federal legislation. Congress must periodically renew VAWA. It was last reauthorized in 2006 (VAWA III) and is up for reauthorization again in 2011 (VAWA IV). Discussions [...]
Read more...The Tahirih Justice Center and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (VSDVAA) partnered again this year with VA General Assembly Senator Janet Howell in support of a statewide bill (SB 1436) that would prevent law enforcement from asking victims and cooperating witnesses of crimes about their immigration status. This critical legislation would help [...]
Read more...Over the course of four days in September 2008, then-US Attorney General Michael Mukasey opened the door for the Board of Immigration Appeals to fundamentally alter a woman’s ability to claim asylum
Read more...In September 2007, the nation’s highest immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), issued a disturbing decision (Matter of A-T-) denying the request for asylum of a young woman who was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) as a child and who fears a forced marriage if she is returned to Mali. The BIA’s [...]
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