Tireless Fighter for the Rights of Immigrants, Michael Maggio Remembered

Michael A. Maggio, an internationally recognized immigration attorney and fierce advocate for justice, passed away on February 10, 2008, after a ten-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Michael was the founder and managing partner of Maggio & Kattar, a world-renowned immigration law firm based in Washington, DC, where his work ranged from setting precedents in international [...]

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 [...]

Tahirih Unveils Tenth Anniversary Video

To honor our 10-year anniversary and the incredible courage of immigrant women and girls fleeing violence, we produced a 13-minute video that highlights the voices of our clients and describes our efforts to help them access justice. As we struggled to capture the range of issues faced by the over 7,400 women and children we [...]

Tahirih Brings on an Equal Justice Works Fellow to Serve Victims of Crime and to Address Issues Related to U Visa Regulations

Naima* was brought to the United States from Zambia by her father when she was only fifteen years old. He had been physically abusing her for years and attempted to rape her twice shortly after they arrived in the United States. Luckily, Naima’s struggles and cries for help prevented him from completing his assaults. Although [...]

Tahirih’s Tenth Anniversary Benefit a Moving and Joyful Event!

Senator Jim Webb, Congressman James Moran, and Tahirih Client Speaker provide touching remarks; Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan leads the distinguished Benefit Committee. The event is the most financially successful Benefit in Tahirih’s history, in large part due to Altria Group, Inc. and Shell Oil Company, who each sponsored at the highest level.

2007 TAHIRIH [...]

Tahirih Justice Center Ten Year Anniversary Report

The Tahirih Justice Center is proud to announce that our Ten Year Anniversary Report is now available online. This report describes Tahirih’s current programs and initiatives and describes where we plan to go from here. It includes an organizational timeline, program status, client stories, statistics on the violence facing our clients and a look into [...]

Welcoming Tahirih’s New Director of Legal Services

Colleen Renk Zengotitabengoa, Tahirih’s Director of Legal Services, has left Tahirih to accept a position at the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Chief Counsel, Refugee and Asylum Law Division, where she will be working as an attorney advisor. In her five years at Tahirih, Colleen has had a remarkable impact [...]

Tahirih Receives Akin Gump “Legal Services Provider of the Year” Award

In a ceremony held June 27, 2007, Akin Gump named Tahirih its Legal Services Provider of the Year. Tahirih received $15,000 with the award. Akin Gump Attorney Amanda Johnson, who was featured in Tahirih’s April 2007 Newsletter for her remarkable service in representing a Tahirih client, won Akin Gump’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year [...]

The Challenges of “Proving” Yourself in America

Open the wallet of the average American woman and you will find at least six forms of identification—a driver’s license, credit and insurance cards, various memberships—each of which has an extensive history behind it establishing her identity and eligibility for certain privileges. The average woman who seeks Tahirih’s help, however, comes to us with little [...]

Tahirih Launches Pro Bono Medical Network: MedStar Physician Partners Volunteer to Serve the Medical Needs of 100 Tahirih Clients a Year

You suffer abuse in your home country. You flee. Your life is in danger so you leave in a hurry. Your first priority is to seek refuge and legal protection. You find yourself in a new country. You do not have a home. You do not have money. You do not have friends and family [...]