Defending asylum seekers in court is at the heart of what we do. The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies is committed to protecting as many refugees as possible under existing law even as we work for a more just legal system. We litigate in two key areas: advancing substantive asylum law to keep legal avenues open for refugees and protecting the asylum system itself to make sure that people have access to a fair legal process. This litigation docket provides an update on some of the major cases that CGRS is fighting in court.
CGRS, the ACLU, and the National Immigrant Justice Center have filed a lawsuit challenging the application of President Biden's asylum ban in credible fear interviews and related policy changes.
We successfully advocated for Attorney General Garland to vacate the Trump-era ruling in Matter of A-B-, which slammed the door on refugee survivors of domestic violence.
CGRS provided amicus support and helped secure a reversal of the Trump-era ruling in Matter of L-E-A-, which undermined access to protection for people fleeing persecution related to their family ties.
The Supreme Court has taken up CGRS and our partners' challenge to the government's rescinded turnback ("metering") policy.
CGRS and the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program won an injunction blocking a Trump-era rule that would have created nearly insurmountable barriers to asylum.
CGRS and our partners are challenging Trump's illegal proclamation shutting down access to asylum at the southern border.
CGRS brought multiple court challenges to the illegal Title 42 policy, which allowed the government to expel people seeking safety to danger.
CGRS and co-counsel brought a lawsuit challenging the first and second Trump administration's “Asylum Cooperative Agreements.” We requested leave to file our second amended complaint in December 2025 as the administration continues to aggressively expand use of ACA-based motions to pretermit throughout the country.