Shana Tabak
When I was about seven, it occurred to me that my grandmother spoke with a slight accent. And I realized – she was not born in the U.S. From then on, I was acutely aware of her story of migration, and I understood that, had she gotten on a different boat when she left her homeland, my life would have been dramatically different. The fortuitousness of the place and time of my birth meant that I grew up never fearing persecution because of my race or religion, never deprived of education because I was a girl, and never worried about whether I’d eat at my next meal. This awareness remained always close to the surface and compelled me to study human rights law. I was drawn to the principle that no matter where one grows up, or whatever her background, that every human deserves equal rights and dignity under the law.
It was while I was a student at Macalester College that I began to draw the connections between human rights abuse globally and the rights of immigrants and refugees in the U.S. As I explored how and why human rights abuse occurs, and why refugees flee situations of horrific violence and persecution, I also came to understand that many of these migrants come to the U.S. with little support. Once they arrive, they must navigate a complex legal system to access the protections that international and U.S. law grants them. I realized to realize the vision of universality of human rights, advocates needed to fight for human rights protections to apply here at home as well as internationally.
I studied law and eventually became a law professor where I taught human rights and immigration in law school clinics. Through this work, I was privileged able to represent clients across the globe pursuing accountability for human rights violations they had suffered, working in international, regional, and U.S. based courts.
Having worked at the intersections between gender justice, human rights, and immigration, the opportunity to lead the Tahirih Justice Center in Atlanta was a perfect fit. Tahirih was founded to protect courageous immigrant women and girls fleeing horrific gender-based persecution, including forced marriage, domestic violence, trafficking, and female genital mutilation. What appeals to me most about Tahirih’s approach is the recognition that our clients – even before they arrive in the U.S. – are already heroes. These women have fled unimaginable situations of gender-based violence, and yet they refuse to accept the degradation of women as the status quo.
Some of our clients are trying to save their own lives; some are trying to protect their children from persecution. Now that I am a mother myself, I know that there is really no limit to what I would do to protect my children. And yet, some immigrant mothers are treated as criminals, facing family separation, detention, and criminal prosecution in their struggle to gain the protections that they deserve here in the United States.
Recently, my work with Tahirih brought me to an immigrant detention center in Texas. There, I provided legal assistance to parents who had been forcibly separated from their children at the southern border, under the U.S. government’s “zero tolerance” policy. One mother, Alicia, explained why she left her home. In Honduras, she had campaigned for her uncle’s candidacy for Mayor. In retribution for her activism, gangs that the government cannot control had sought revenge by claiming Alicia’s 15-year-old daughter as their property, raping her on her way to school. Knowing that her 9-year old daughter might soon face this same fate, Alicia left for the U.S. Alicia’s strength and determination were palpable — she simply had no other option than to save her children from rape and torture. And so, she came to the U.S., seeking protection. In my work advancing human rights for women and girls, each day, I aim to approach my work with both determination and appreciation.
I am determined because each day, the challenges can seem insurmountable. We face ever-increasing attempts by our government to limit protections for immigrant women fleeing gender-based violence. Despite years of international and domestic law requiring equal treatment of women and girls, inequality and persecution persist. But I recall the Talmudic mandate: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Also, I am appreciative. I am grateful to be working in partnership with the resilient women who are our clients at Tahirih. Through their quest for legal protection here in the U.S., they refuse to play the role of victim in the narrative of patriarchy, persecution, and marginalization of women that has dominated the world stage for far too long.
We are now working to grow a new office of Tahirih in Atlanta – a city which has been called one of the worst places to be an undocumented immigrant. This is because judges often apply asylum law inconsistently. On average, in the U.S., a person has a 43% chance of being granted asylum, but in Atlanta, that drops to 2% grant rate. Tahirih is working to strategically challenge a legal system that deprives our clients of due process, and of to their chance to seek protection that international law and domestic law guarantees them.
Human rights law applies universally – both at home in the U.S. and across the globe. Through direct services, policy advocacy, and training and education, Tahirih protects immigrant women and girls, and promotes a world where women and girls enjoy human rights, equality, and live with safety and dignity.
Shana Tabak joined the Tahirih Justice Center as the first Executive Director of its Atlanta office which opened in 2018. Presiding over Tahirih’s fifth location, she leads the delivery of high-quality legal services and social services case management to protect immigrant woman and girls who demand freedom from violence. She is the former Chair of the Georgia Immigration Working Group and currently leads its work to increase collaboration between mental health professionals and immigration attorneys.
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