Friday, July 18, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued a major, precedential opinion that sets U.S. asylum law back thirty years. It will make it exponentially harder for women and girls fleeing gender-based violence to obtain safety in the United States. And it all started with a case originating in the Cleveland Immigration Court during the first Trump administration. Read about it here.

Said Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, "This is a devastating decision for women and girls who have been failed by other countries and governments. Now they can add the United States to that list.

"Women around the world once believed the United States of America was a place where they would be treated as full and equal human beings. Where they could be safe, get educations, pursue careers, and be treated with respect and dignity. Now, they will be thrown back to the wolves they fled.

"Women do so much for our communities and families. The people seeking safety from violence who make it here have already survived so much. They are incredibly strong and brave. And they only want what we all want — to live in a safe place and take care of themselves and their families. The shame lies with the fact that our government chooses to demonize them, instead of embracing their bravery."

It bears noting that both the U.S. Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals are not independent judicial bodies. They serve under the direction of the Department of Justice and Attorney General. The political nature of these courts is a clear reason why decisions like this can be made in the first place.

Read more about the dysfunctional nature and unfair standards of these courts in the Ohio Immigrant Alliance's report, "The System Works As Designed: Immigration Law, Courts, and Consequences."