We help people who have fled dangerous situations in their home countries to obtain asylum in the United States.
OUR SERVICES
Asylum is a legal status that the U.S. government can grant to people who are at risk of harm in their home countries because of who they are—because of their religion, political opinion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, for example—if the governments in their home countries will not protect them.
The process for seeking asylum in the U.S. is complicated and an asylum-seeker is more likely to be granted this form of protection if he or she is represented by a good lawyer who understands the system. Our pro bono legal representation program matches good lawyers with asylum-seekers who need help and would not otherwise be able to afford high-quality legal representation.
ASYLUM SEEKERS
We help people living in the greater Washington D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas who do not already have legal representation, cannot afford an attorney, and need help with a claim for asylum or other protection-based form of immigration status. Our New York office can also help people who are seeking asylum from within a nearby immigration detention center.
PRO BONO ATTORNEYS AND VOLUNTEERS
We match asylum-seekers who need help and lawyers who can represent them on a pro bono basis. We provide mentoring, training, and guidance throughout the representation to ensure that our pro bono lawyers get the support they need to provide the highest quality legal representation to clients seeking asylum in the country. Through the Refugee Representation program at Human Rights First, volunteer lawyers have the unique opportunity to change the lives of refugees by helping them win asylum in the United States.
BECOME A VOLUNTEER AWARDS AND ADVOCACY
LAW AND PROCEDURE
The process for seeking asylum in the U.S. is complicated and an asylum-seeker is more likely to be granted this form of protection if he or she is represented by a good lawyer who understands the system. We provide training and guidance to lawyers who represent clients on a pro bono basis through our program. For a basic overview of asylum law and the legal standards for some other forms of protection-based immigration status that our clients may seek through our program, please click on the link below.
ASYLUM TESTIMONIALS
WATCH OUR REFUGEE VOICES SERIES
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Human Rights First is a non-profit organization that could not do this work without your generous support. Help us be responsive as people needing our assistance arrive and as global human rights challenges emerge.
