Tahirih Justice Center

10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day 💗

You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to ask for help.
You are allowed to prioritize your well-being.

For survivors of gender-based violence, healing can take time—and no one should have to navigate it alone. This World Mental Health Day, let’s make space for care, support, and healing. Share to normalize care today and every day. 💌

10/09/2026

This International Day of the Girl, we’re honoring girls like Neema by committing to take action to end forced and child marriage.

At 15, Neema was taken out of the United States under the guise of a family vacation. Instead, she was forced to work as an unpaid housemaid and pressured into marriage.

With support from the Tahirih Justice Center's Forced Marriage Initiative, Neema escaped, returned safely to the United States, and began rebuilding the future that had been taken from her.

Today, she is looking ahead—to earning her high school diploma, pursuing her education, and building a life of her own choosing.

As Neema reminds us: “Freedom is possible.”

Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, dream, and build a future on her own terms. Want to get involved in the movement to end child marriage in the U.S.? Click here - https://act.tahirih.org/a/child-marriage-policy-update-progress-prevention-and-advocacy

10/06/2026

This past year, Tahirih Atlanta was honored to be selected as a partner with Leadership Atlanta.

Selected as one of nine nonprofits from more than 50 applicants, Tahirih Atlanta worked with a Leadership Atlanta team over nine months to strengthen our community outreach and engagement strategy. The tools they developed give Tahirih a clear roadmap for building stronger partnerships, expanding our reach, and creating meaningful ways for the Atlanta community to engage with our mission.

Our Executive Director Vanessa shared, “They challenged us to think bigger about our relationships and presence in Atlanta while giving us concrete tools to move that work forward.”

We’re grateful to the Leadership Atlanta team for their thoughtfulness, energy, and commitment to advance our mission in support of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence.

10/02/2026

On October 1, hundreds of thousands of lawfully present immigrants lost access to federally funded health coverage—including refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence.

For survivors rebuilding their lives after violence, health care is not optional. Access to medical care, mental health services, and other critical supports can be essential to healing, independence, and long-term stability.

Taking that care away creates yet another barrier for survivors who have already overcome so much.

Every survivor deserves the chance to heal and thrive.

If you may be impacted by this change, please reach out to Tahirih advocate or visit NILC to learn more at https://www.nilc.org/articles/what-immigrants-need-to-know-about-the-new-medicaid-eligibility-restrictions/

10/01/2026

💜 This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, meet our client, Michelle.*

When Michelle’s abuser left her, she gave birth to her son in a homeless shelter. That’s where she found Tahirih.

With support from her legal and social services advocates, Michelle learned about her rights and legal options and applied for a U visa. Her advocates also helped her find a crib, clothes, and diapers for her baby, and provided financial assistance to help her get back on her feet.

Today, Michelle has her U visa — and a renewed sense of hope for her future.

As part of her healing journey, Tahirih connected Michelle to art therapy. She and her children began painting, eventually creating paintings for the Tahirih advocates who supported their family.

This , help bring light and color back into the lives of more immigrant survivors and their families by donating to support Tahirih's work.

10/01/2026

🎉 A historic victory for women and girls and all survivors in California!

Governor Newsom has signed AB 1267 and AB 2534 into law — marking a major milestone in the movement to end child marriage and strengthen protections for people facing forced marriage. Both laws will take effect January 1, 2027.

💜 AB 1267 bans child marriage in California by establishing 18 as the minimum age for marriage without exceptions and AB 2534 creates the country's first forced marriage protection order, giving people facing forced marriage a stronger legal tool to protection themselves.

As Alex Goyette, Tahirih Justice Center’s Public Policy Manager, shared:

"In both banning child marriage and creating the country's first Forced Marriage Restraining Order, California has set itself apart as a true leader in the movement to end forced marriage in the United States. The impact of these laws will be immediate and widespread, both within California where people of all ages can rest assured that the Golden State protects their right to choose their own future, and nationwide as the example set here inspires action across the country."

Today, we celebrate the survivors, advocates, legislators, and partners whose tireless work helped make this moment possible!

09/28/2026

Victory for survivors! A federal judge has ruled that the administration cannot enforce a policy that would have restricted access to a wide range of federally funded social services based on immigration status.

The policy would have required critical safety-net programs like food banks and healthcare clinics to verify the immigration status of everyone they serve and deny services to people who couldn't provide documentation. States that did not comply risked losing federal funding for essential programs.

For survivors like Tahirih's clients, access to services such as Head Start, food assistance, housing support, and health care can be life-changing as they work to rebuild their lives after violence.

This victory ensures families can continue accessing the services and support they need to stay safe, healthy, and thrive.

09/25/2026

Celebrating progress for survivors in the courts! 🎉

This week, a federal court allowed Tahirih’s lawsuit challenging the government’s efforts to send people seeking asylum in the United States to unsafe third countries to move forward as a class action. Tahirih and our clients have been greatly impacted by this policy and other governmental unlawful actions, and we will continue to fight in court and challenge such actions as the case proceeds.

09/23/2026

Take action today - https://nnedv.org/take_action/take-action-today-urge-senate-leadership-to-pass-the-crime-victims-fund-stabilization-act/

The Crime Victims Fund ( ) is the primary source of funding for services that support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, trafficking, and other crimes. Yet today, the CVF is dangerously low, putting critical, lifesaving services and victims’ lives at risk.

Communities are already feeling the impact. Programs have been forced to reduce services, lay off staff, and, in some cases, close their doors entirely. Without immediate action, communities will feel less safe and more survivors will be left without the support they need to heal, rebuild their lives, and get back to work.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act offers a bipartisan, commonsense solution to stabilize the CVF using non-taxpayer dollars, ensuring continuity of services while Congress works toward a long-term fix.

Tell your Senators: Pass the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act now.

09/22/2026

Every person fleeing for their lives should have the opportunity to explain what they have been through and have their asylum claim fairly evaluated. A new DHS rule allows USCIS asylum officers to refer people seeking asylum to immigration court without first conducting a trauma-informed interview.

For survivors of gender-based violence, this interview is a critical opportunity to share their experiences and provide context for their asylum claims. People seeking safety will be pushed into an already overwhelmed immigration court system, increasing the risk that they could be returned to dangerous, life-threatening conditions.

We’re calling on DHS to stop this harmful rule.

📢 Take action: Submit a public comment telling DHS why this rule threatens survivors and access to safety here - https://act.tahirih.org/a/protect-affirmative-asylum