Tahirih Justice Center

Reminder: Join us next Monday, November 25 at 1 pm ET for a free webinar as our expert staff share the significant immigration policy changes they anticipate from the incoming administration, the impact of potential policy changes on the lives of immigrant survivors, and how we are preparing to respond. ASL and Spanish language interpretation will be available! Register now: https://lnkd.in/e-nh5WU8 ??? Date: November 25, 2024 ?Time: 1:00pm EST

En 2023, el número de ni?os casados en Washington, DC aumentó drásticamente, pasando de 1 el a?o anterior a 15. Esta tendencia representa una realidad profundamente preocupante: si no se toman medidas legales urgentes, la capital de nuestra nación corre el riesgo de convertirse en un refugio seguro para el tráfico y la explotación de ni?os, especialmente ni?as. En octubre, Tahirih se unió con aliados en una audiencia de Council of the District of Columbia, presidida por Brooke Pinto, para testificar por la adopción de la Ley de Enmienda de la Prohibición del Matrimonio Infantil. Durante la reunión, varias sobrevivientes del matrimonio infantil y los aliados destacaron la necesidad legal y social de limitar el matrimonio a 18 a?os sin excepciones y abogaron por un futuro en el que las ni?as jóvenes estén libres de abuso y explotación. En un artículo reciente, Publiquemoslo elevó las experiencias compartidas durante la audiencia y el trabajo que las sobrevivientes, Tahirih, y otros aliados están haciendo para finalmente #EndChildMarriage en DC: https://lnkd.in/e6NFZmnK

In 2023, the number of children married in Washington, DC increased dramatically, from just 1 the previous year to 15. This trend represents a deeply concerning reality: without urgent legal action, our nation's capital risks becoming a safe haven for the trafficking and exploitation of children, especially young girls. This past October, Tahirih joined partners and advocates at a Council of the District of Columbia hearing, chaired by Brooke Pinto, to testify for the adoption of the Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act. During the meeting, child marriage survivors and advocates highlighted the legal and social need to limit marriage to 18 with no exceptions and advocated for a future where young girls are free from abuse and exploitation. In a recent article, Publiquemoslo uplifted the experiences shared during the hearing and the work that survivors, Tahirih, and other advocates are doing to finally #EndChildMarriage in DC. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eqDPBT2r

In the spirit of the holiday season, Tahirih wants to express our gratitude to our partners, volunteers, and donors! Your generous gifts of time, money, and expertise make our work to support immigrant women and girls possible. This week, we want to recognize Colsaria Henderson and Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence for their partnership in the San Francisco Bay Area. Colsaria Henderson is the Executive Director of Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, located in Santa Clara County, California. She is from the South and considers her social justice training buried in the roots of activist parents, who dedicated their early lives to the Civil Rights Movement. Over the last fifteen years, Colsaria has focused her work at the macro level, enjoying leadership and program development, survivor and community based evaluation and advocacy, and state-wide policy change. "We collaborate with Tahirih because of the shared values and principles between the organizations and because survivors of violence and abuse deserve access to community-centered approaches to justice and healing," says Colsaria.

Today on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor the memory of those who lost their lives because of discrimination and transphobia and commit to better serving transgender and nonbinary survivors of violence. Transgender people are nearly four times as likely to be the victims of violent crime, including domestic violence and sexual assault, and transgender women of color are at particularly high risk. Claims that allowing transgender people to access sex-separated spaces aligning with their gender identity threatens the safety or privacy of women and girls are false. Tahirih and our partners in the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence recently issued a statement in support of transgender peoples' full and equal access to restrooms, locker rooms, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and other facilities that match their affirmed gender. Discriminatory policies aimed at the transgender community ultimately harm all women and survivors. Read the full statement to learn more about the impact of discriminatory laws and policies and our collective call for inclusion and solidarity: https://lnkd.in/ewyJbjpG We will only accomplish our goal of ending sexual assault and domestic violence by treating all survivors, including those who are transgender, with fairness and respect, regardless of their gender identify.

How will a new administration impact the immigration landscape for survivors of gender-based violence? On November 25 at 1pm EST, Tahirih will host a webinar featuring our directors of public policy and client relations to discuss this critical question, the impact of potential policy changes on the lives of Tahirih clients, and how we are preparing to respond to defend the rights of immigrant survivors. Register here: https://lnkd.in/e-nh5WU8 ??? Date: November 25, 2024 ?Time: 1:00pm EST

Tahirih Atlanta was proud to recently host their first legal clinic in partnership with pro bono attorneys from Visa. The volunteer attorneys assisted four families with their applications for the U visa and all the clients expressed their appreciation to the volunteers for their kindness, support, and listening. One client told us, "I have never felt so much confidence about my case.” Thank you to Visa and to Team Tahirih Atlanta for your hard work organizing this clinic and supporting immigrant survivors on their journey to justice!

?? Happy 15th anniversary, Tahirih Houston! ?? Sign our e-card: https://lnkd.in/dkz_3X_d Since 2009, Team Tahirih Houston has been partnering with advocates and local organizations to ensure the Houston area is a safer place for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Through direct legal and social services, policy advocacy, training, and education, Tahirih Houston is proud to have served thousands of immigrants along with their family and community members. Show your support & gratitude to our Houston team on the e-card or in the comments below!

When I spoke with Betsy Woodruff Swan from POLITICO yesterday morning, I shared what I'm expecting as an advocate and lawyer. I expect that within months we will see increased militarization of our borders and refusal to allow any refugees to enter in violation of our international obligations. I expect immigrants and asylum seekers living in the U.S. to suffer from raids, round-ups, arrest, detention, and deportation at record numbers, resulting in families torn apart, businesses shuttered, and lives lost. And I expect that immigrant women and girls will lose critical pathways to legal protection – like asylum and the U visa – that have helped them avoid additional trauma and violence for decades. I expect fear to rip through our nation. But at the Tahirih Justice Center, we've been planning for this moment. We know it’s going to take outreach to our communities, strong advocacy, building coalitions with unlikely allies, and yes, filing lawsuits to hold back policies that will decimate our humanitarian protection system. We are the front lines, and we need your help. We have to raise enough funds to staff our team quickly and execute our blueprint to hold back anti-immigrant policies. Please give what you can now and stay committed to this fight with us: https://lnkd.in/eD-bmRhs Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/eGuqEgvt

With the election outcome decided, immigrant rights advocates are now preparing to defend the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers against proposed anti-immigrant policies. Our CEO Archi Pyati told POLITICO reporter Betsy Woodruff Swan, “We know it’s going to take a lot of smart lawyers to hold back the worst human rights violations that may be coming, to protect the legal structures that allow immigrants and refugees to find safety in the U.S. and to exercise their basic human rights on the domestic and international stage, and we are preparing ourselves for the legal battles that lay ahead. We need resources for sure.” Read the full article in Politico: https://lnkd.in/eDqubtNi