╨╧рб▒с>■  )+■   (                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ье┴[ Ё┐bjbjтт "АjАj      lиииииии╝ ╝Y╢00000000╪ ┌ ┌ ┌ ┌ ┌ ┌ $ /|■ и00000■ nии00nnn0и0и0╪ n0╪ njn╪ ии╪ 0$ гA·]ю┬╝HF ╪ ╪ )0Y╪ лPл╪ n╝╝ииии┘ March 19, 2003 The Honorable Tom Ridge, Secretary The Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 Dear Secretary Ridge, On behalf of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the Jewish communityТs international migration agency and the nationТs oldest refugee resettlement organization, I am writing to you regarding two discrete asylum issues, each of tremendous consequence for these vulnerable people. Throughout our 121-year history, HIAS has assisted thousands of individuals fleeing persecution by directly representing refugees in all phases of the asylum process. Based on our extensive experience assisting asylum seekers, we have serious reservations about one component of Operation Liberty Shield, publicly announced yesterday. In our view, the Department of Homeland SecurityТs plan to detain all asylum seekers who arrive at ports of entry from 34 countries or territories where al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda sympathizers or other terrorist groups are known to have operated is an overly broad policy that does not take into account the vulnerable position of applicants for asylum. We firmly believe that the government is justified in taking steps to identify applicants for political asylum under any conditions, and particularly during times of conflict. However, the Department of Homeland SecurityТs plan does not provide an asylum seeker who has demonstrated a credible fear of persecution an opportunity to seek parole from detention based on the specific facts of his or her own case. Without an opportunity for review, victims of torture, rape and other extreme persecution will be incarcerated for months or even years for seeking safe-haven in the United States. Detained asylum seekers have limited access to legal assistance and a diminished opportunity to fully prepare their asylum claims. Additionally, HIAS has followed the case of Rodi Alvarado, and potential revisions in the regulations governing use of gender and other social groups in asylum processing, with great concern. If the Department of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Department of Justice, ultimately issues regulations that would prevent women fleeing from human rights violations, including domestic violence, trafficking, rape, sexual slavery, and honor killing, from seeking asylum in the United States, it would be a significant step backwards for U.S. asylum law. -2- Such regulations would run counter to current policy and would effectively disregard persecution by non-state actors as a means to asylum. As a result, women and girls subjected to gender-related violence would have no means of escape, and would likely face death at the hands of their abusers. As the Department of Homeland Security addresses its dual-mission of protecting our nation from those who seek to do us harm and offering protection to those who face persecution abroad, we hope that you will maintain our countryТs fundamental commitment to refugee protection. Although our nation is currently facing extremely grave challenges, we cannot turn our backs on those seeking protection. We strongly urge you to reconsider the blanket asylum detention policy included in Operation Liberty Shield, returning our asylum system to an individual-based process and to refrain from instituting changes to current asylum law and practices that would reject gender-based persecution as a basis for asylum in the United States. Thank you for considering our views on these crucial matters. Sincerely, Leonard Glickman President and CEO Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society 8\rsЙКQRWX2 3 i j k o p ШЩvw¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤°¤¤¤¤¤$a$■w╡╢┴┬├─┼╓ш¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 1Рh░╨/ ░р=!░"░#Ра$Ра%░ i8@ё 8 NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH <A@Є б< Default Paragraph Font    8\rsЙКQRWX23i j k o p Ш Щ v w ╡ ╢ ┴ ┬ ├ ─ ┼ ╓ ш Ш0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0ААШ0АА w  _cEEРСТУPQ_hьь>MSSиий/_l!%01j p й о W ` e i { ~ Ч ╥ є є u ┤   Hadar SusskinddC:\Documents and Settings\Hadar\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of gender regs.asdHadar SusskindRC:\Documents and Settings\Hadar\My Documents\emily's files\asylees\gender regs.docGideon AronoffeC:\Documents and Settings\gideon\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of gender regs.asdGideon AronoffrC:\Documents and Settings\gideon\My Documents\Gideon\Gideon\Asylum Work Group\asylum letter to Ridge, March 18.docGideon AronoffrC:\Documents and Settings\gideon\My Documents\Gideon\Gideon\Asylum Work Group\asylum letter to Ridge, March 18.doc Administrator{C:\Documents and Settings\mar.000\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of asylum letter to Ridge, March 18.asd AdministratorVD:\Morris\News Releases\9.11 related & moretorium\asylum letter to Ridge, March 18.docHIasUserbC:\Documents and Settings\eb.001\Application Data\Microsoft\Word\AutoRecovery save of asylum 1.asdHIasUserD:\ridgeletter3-19-03.doc AdministratorVD:\Morris\News Releases\9.11 related & moretorium\asylum letter to Ridge, March 18.doc @АЬHBp@  Unknown            GРЗz А Times New Roman5РАSymbol3&Р Зz А Arial"qЙЁ╨hЬsfЬsfюЫsfП !Ёа┤┤ББr0d12ГQЁ  March XX, 2003Hadar Susskind Administrator■ рЕЯЄ∙OhлС+'│┘0ФШа╕─▄шЇ ( D P \ ht|ДМфMarch XX, 2003arcHadar SusskindadaadaNormaluAdministrator2miMicrosoft Word 9.0@F├#@┤hМXю┬@e█]ю┬@e█]ю┬П ■ ╒═╒Ь.УЧ+,∙о0№ hpАИРШ аи░╕ └ █фHIASX12 March XX, 2003 Title ■   ■   ■   !"#$%&'■   ¤   *■   ■   ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Root Entry         └FаЇn·]ю┬,А1Table            лWordDocument        "SummaryInformation(    DocumentSummaryInformation8             CompObj    jObjectPool            аЇn·]ю┬аЇn·]ю┬            ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ■       └FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8Ї9▓q