Mariko Hirose, IRAP Litigation Director, addresses journalists at an outdoor press conference. She is surrounded by several journalists with cameras, microphones and notepads. She has straight, shoulder length black hair and wears a white blouse and black blazer.

News & Resources

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Oct 10, 2024

S.A.M. v. State: Challenging inadequately explained Afghan SIV eligibility denials 

IRAP filed a case on behalf of itself and five Afghan nationals who were denied access to the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program without being given the explanation required by law.

Case

Jun 27, 2024

M.M.M. v. State: Challenging the U.S. government’s unfair application of the Child Status Protection Act to Afghan children

IRAP filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. government’s determination that a group of Afghan children aged out of eligibility to immigrate to safety in the United States because of the government’s delays in adjudicating their parents’ SIV applications.

Case

May 14, 2024

Bizuru v. USCIS: Challenging discretionary denials in refugee applications

IRAP filed a case on behalf of three Congolese families who applied and were approved for resettlement to the United States as refugees only to have their travel abruptly canceled and their refugee cases discretionarily denied without explanation.

Case

Mar 28, 2024

Department of State v. Muñoz: Choosing between love and country

IRAP and American Families United submitted an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Department of State v. Muñoz showcasing stories of families who, like the couple at the core of the case, were separated by consular decisions.

Case

Mar 14, 2024

Refugee Mother Stranded in Iraq Sues Government to Return to Safety in United States with Children

Last night, Jane Doe, a refugee mother stranded in Iraq, requested a federal court allow her to return to safety in the United States with her children. By unlawfully preventing her from returning to the United States, the U.S. government is forcing Doe to choose between sending her children back to the United States by themselves, or staying in Iraq where the entire family faces threats.

Press Release

Mar 13, 2024

Doe v. Jaddou: Challenging unlawful restrictions on resettled refugees’ ability to travel

This case challenges restrictions on the ability of resettled refugees to reenter the United States after temporary travel abroad.

Case

Jul 20, 2023

IRAP Welcomes Sharif Aly in New Role as President

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is thrilled to announce that Sharif Aly has joined the organization in the new role of President of IRAP. As part of this expansion of IRAP’s Executive Leadership Team, Becca Heller, Co-Founder and Executive Director, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Press Release

Jun 20, 2023

On World Refugee Day, Calls for Biden Administration to Accelerate Family Reunifications

On a press call held to commemorate World Refugee Day, Congressman Ted Lieu joined advocates, experts, and affected individuals to highlight the tens of thousands of separated refugee families waiting to reunite in safety and called on the Biden administration to make family reunification pathways more efficient, more equitable, and more transparent. 

Press Release

Apr 11, 2023

After Seven-Year Separation, Somali Refugee Files Lawsuit to Reunite with Family

Today, Rabi Mohamed, a resettled Somali refugee who has been separated from his wife and their sons for over seven years, filed a lawsuit against the United States government with the support of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Prokosch Law LLC. The lawsuit challenges USCIS’s unnecessary requests for evidence to prove the family’s relationship, which has blocked the Mohameds from reuniting for years.

Press Release

Jan 5, 2023

Separated Muslim Burmese Refugee Family Sues U.S. Government

Today, a Burmese mother who has been separated from her husband for nearly a decade filed a lawsuit calling on the U.S. government to reunite her family. She is represented by the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).

Press Release

Sep 15, 2022

Months After Court Vacated Trump-Era Restrictions, Biden Administration Has Yet to Restore Access to Work Permits for Asylum Seekers

Last Friday, asylum seekers and advocates in the case CASA de Maryland v. Mayorkas asked a Maryland federal court to order the government to stop implementing Trump-era rules that severely limit asylum seekers’ ability to work while they wait for their asylum cases to be adjudicated. 

Press Release

Nov 18, 2021

U.S. to Reopen Refugee Applications of Iranian Religious Minorities Mass Denied Under Unfair “Extreme Vetting”

Today, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Latham & Watkins LLP announced a settlement in Doe v. Mayorkas, a 2018 class action lawsuit challenging the mass denial of the refugee applications of dozens of Iranians of persecuted minority faiths in the Lautenberg-Specter Program.

Press Release