Policy Analysis and Recommendations
The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) is a leading voice in the movement to rebuild the U.S. asylum system and expand access to protection for women, children, LGBTQ+ people, and others seeking refuge. Our Policy & Advocacy team serves as a critical resource on asylum to policymakers, journalists, and the public. We provide rapid analysis of policy developments and offer practical recommendations for decision-makers at all levels of government, advising our leaders on how to ensure the United States lives up to its legal and moral commitments to people fleeing persecution.
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The U.S.-Honduras Asylum Cooperative Agreement: Sending Asylum Seekers to Honduras Defies the Law and Endangers Lives
Factsheet
April 30, 2026
This factsheet examines the terms and implementation of the U.S.-Honduras Asylum Cooperative Agreement (ACA), and explains why it fails to meet the standards required by U.S. law.
The U.S.-Ecuador Asylum Cooperative Agreement: Why It Fails the Law and Endangers Asylum Seekers
Factsheet
March 25, 2026
This factsheet documents why the U.S.-Ecuador Asylum Cooperative Agreement fails to meet U.S. legal standards, detailing Ecuador's inadequate asylum system, pervasive violence, and barriers to integration.
Asylum Cooperative Agreements: Denial of Due Process and Risks of Return to Danger
Factsheet
March 11, 2026
This factsheet examines the legal deficiencies of the Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACAs) entered by the Trump administration, highlighting due process violations, inadequate protections in receiving countries, and the need for congressional oversight.
We Must Reaffirm not "Reform" the Refugee Convention
Policy Memo
October 7, 2025
We must reaffirm the Refugee Convention, not destroy it under the guise of "reform."
Submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants
Human Rights Body Submission
June 10, 2025
This submission details the US–El Salvador agreement transferring 288 people to indefinite, incommunicado detention at CECOT, El Salvador’s mega-prison, and urges the UN Special Rapporteur on migrants to demand due process and transparency.
The Impact of U.S. Immigration and Border Externalization Policies on Haitian and Other Black Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, and Migrants
Human Rights Body Submission
April 7, 2025
This submission to the UN Human Rights Council documents how current U.S. policies denying migrants the right to seek asylum violate both domestic and international law, and have a disproportionate impact on Haitian and other Black asylum seekers forced to stay in Mexico.
Webinar: Migration Policy Under the Trump Administration: What’s Changing and What’s at Stake?
Video
March 5, 2025
This webinar explores the Trump administration’s migration policies, including asylum restrictions, TPS terminations, border militarization, and migrant transfers to third countries. Panelists discuss legal, humanitarian, and due process implications.
The Chile Declaration and Plan of Action 2024–2034: A Blueprint for Addressing Climate and Disaster-Related Displacement in the Americas
Policy Memo
February 3, 2025
This policy memo examines key elements of the Chile Declaration and Plan of Action, focusing on climate and disaster-related displacement, protection and cooperation measures, and advocacy opportunities to support its implementation over the next decade.