The BIA’s decision in the Matter of A-T reveals a poor understanding of FGM and its consequences, as well as a flawed interpretation of refugee law, and poses a direct threat to the ability of Tahirih’s clients and others who have suffered FGM to receive protection in the United States.

The highest immigration appellate court, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), issued two precedent-setting decisions that advocates fear will limit the ability of a woman to receive refugee status because of female genital cutting.

She wisecracks like a sassy college kid and teases her lawyer like an older sister. She delivers speeches without notes and tosses off legal phrases without hesitation.