After 7 long years, Maryland has taken action to protect children by limiting child marriage in the state. House Bill 83 does not ban child marriage in the state of Maryland altogether, but it is a major step in the right direction and responds to many of the concerns raised by advocates and survivors. The new law passed with strong, bi-partisan majorities in both the House and Senate.

Today, the Biden administration announced it would end its use of Title 42 on May 23, 2022. For two years, Title 42 has been used to justify the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border and the denial of their right to seek asylum.

The Los Angeles Times immigration reporter, Andrea Castillo, spoke with Tahirih’s Senior Litigation Counsel, Richard Caldarone, about the new asylum regulations and what they mean for survivors of violence. 

The Biden administration today rolled out a new rule that attempts to repair a deeply flawed asylum system. Although the rule rolls back dangerous changes to the asylum process made in 2020, and adopts some new procedures that are welcomed, it does not go far enough to ensure the protection of individuals seeking asylum in the U.S.

Yesterday, Maryland’s House of Delegates passed legislation that would raise the minimum age for marriage in Maryland from 15 to 17. We are grateful to Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary for championing House Bill 83 and to Delegate Emily Shetty for ensuring the amended version remains strong after considering the Senate’s concerns. HB 83 would ban 17-year-olds from marrying someone who is older than them by four years and would require the 17-year-old to appear before a judge who will evaluate the intended marriage for signs of coercion.

Last night, the Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a vote that was six years in the making. The Tahirih Justice Center applauds Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for their legislative leadership in the fight to get VAWA over the finish line. The new authorization provides more than $500 million to increase resources for survivors of violence.

The Washington Post’s columnist Petula Dvorak interviewed Tahirih’s Public Policy Director, Casey Swegman Carter, on the importance of passing a legislation that would end child marriage in Maryland. This is the seventh year a bill has been introduced that seeks to ban child marriage in the state.