Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order that unlawfully seeks to arrest people seeking asylum, and other people without status in the United States, and return them to the border at a port of entry. The order is flatly illegal. It seeks to enforce purported violations of federal immigration law, something the Supreme Court has expressly held states cannot do. The order itself also violates federal immigration law, which makes clear that people have a legal right to seek asylum in the United States even if they enter the country without authorization. And if it is implemented, the order will force survivors of gender-based violence, and other vulnerable people pursuing that right to seek protection, out of their communities and into danger.

Today, in a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court agreed that the Biden administration can terminate the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. Under this cruel policy, which Tahirih is challenging in a separate lawsuit, the United States has placed tens of thousands of vulnerable people fleeing violence, including many survivors of gender-based violence, into dangerous situations in northern Mexico. ‘Remain in Mexico’ is part of xenophobic policies that have all but eliminated the human right to seek asylum.

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.

Tahirih’s policy work is rooted in our core values and in our specific theory of change. Inspired by the Bahá’í faith and grounded in our belief in the oneness of humanity, we reach for a society that embraces our diversity and guarantees everyone’s human rights. Our mission is to advance policies and laws that enable immigrant survivors of gender-based violence to pursue legal immigration status, live in safety, and forge their own paths. Everything we do is in service of that goal.

The immigration system is shattered. Survivors are denied access to safety because of policies and practices that could be fixed. The Tahirih Justice Center is prioritizing the following policy goals to immediately improve protections for immigrant survivors while simultaneously seeking long-term, systemic change.

Tahirih’s Managing Attorney, Payal Sinha, wrote an opinion piece published by otherwords.org. The commentary explains why 1.4 million immigrants are stuck waiting on work permits, which is threatening their ability to survive.

The Tahirih Justice Center celebrates yesterday’s court ruling in AsylumWorks v. Mayorkas. It’s a lawsuit that challenged two rules that prevented people seeking asylum from receiving timely work authorization.

Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced a bill that would reshape the nation’s immigration courts by making them independent of the Department of Justice (DOJ), led by the U.S. attorney general. The bill would create a new immigration court system under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and it would ensure that judges are unbiased, that court procedures are transparent to the public, and that the executive branch does not decide on the court’s budget. The Tahirih Justice Center believes this bill is an important step to ensure a fair process for immigrants where matters of life and liberty are at stake.