Federal Court Reaffirms U.S. As Safe Haven for Domestic Violence Survivors
Commentary
May 1, 2020
This piece breaks down the First Circuit decision in De Pena-Paniagua v. Barr, affirming the right of domestic violence survivors to seek asylum.
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.
Groups Urge Trump Administration to Stop Turning Back Asylum Seekers
Commentary
April 17, 2020
This article describes a letter sent by 182 organizations, urging the Trump administration to reverse its Title 42 policy, which allows border agents to summarily expel asylum seekers under the pretext of the pandemic.
Family Fleeing: Family Membership as a Basis for Asylum
Commentary
April 1, 2020
This article analyzes the existing state of U.S., foreign, and international law on persecution on account of “membership in a particular social group” defined by family and explores how this theory can be applied in practice in the wake of the 2019 Attorney General ruling in Matter of L-E-A-.
The Trump Administration Must Not Use Pandemic as Excuse to Endanger Refugees
Commentary
March 27, 2020
This article calls on the Trump administration to reverse its Title 42 expulsion policy and instead protect the health of asylum seekers during COVID-19 by expeditiously paroling them into the U.S., reducing needless detention, and putting a moratorium on all deportations.
Inside the So-Called “Safe Third”—and Trump’s Latest Attack on Asylum-Seekers
Commentary
December 4, 2019
This piece critiques the United States' agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, allowing the return of asylum seekers to those countries, which are patently unsafe for refugees and migrants.
Restore asylum for women fleeing abuse and death
Commentary
November 22, 2019
This op-ed urges Congress to pass the Refugee Protection Act which, among other crucial provisions, would restore acces to asylum for women and girls fleeing gender-based violence.
48,000 Asylum Seekers Have Been Put in Harm’s Way by the Trump Administration
Commentary
October 3, 2019
This piece describes the devastating consequences of the Trump administration's Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) (also known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy), which forces people seeking asylum to await their court dates in perilous conditions south of the border.
Trump’s senseless cruelty toward evacuees from the Bahamas
Commentary
September 13, 2019
This op-ed criticizes President Trump's rejection of a proposal to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Bahamian nationals in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, as well as the president's cruel statements demonizing Bahamians.
The Trump Administration is Fighting to Indefinitely Detain Migrant Children and Families
Commentary
August 27, 2019
This piece criticizes the Trump administration's rule authorizing the government to imprison immigrant children indefinitely, explaining how the rule endangers children and why it is unlikely to hold up in court.
Immigrant Women Too: The Legal Fight to Ensure Safe Haven for Survivors
Commentary
July 1, 2019
In this piece, CGRS Legal Director Blaine Bookey unpacks the Trump-era Matter of A-B- ruling, a step backwards for the rights of refugee survivors, and urges advocates to keep up the fight.