Immigration Equality

Our Mission
Immigration Equality promotes justice and equality for LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants and families through direct legal services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation. 

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Why We Exist
In approximately 70 countries, it is a crime or fundamentally unsafe to be LGBTQ or HIV-positive.  

Worldwide, individuals face violence, prison time, or the death penalty due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.     

In order to escape grave dangers to their lives and health, many queer, trans, and HIV-positive people seek protection by applying for asylum in the United States.   

What We Do 
We secure safety and freedom for LGBTQ and HIV-positive people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. We achieve this by working at both an individual and systemic level, employing our expertise in three key areas: 

1. Direct Legal Services
   The biggest factor in whether someone wins asylum is whether they have high-quality legal representation. For that reason, Immigration Equality provides free legal services, including legal representation, to LGBTQ and HIV-positive asylum seekers. 
2. Law and Policy
   At Immigration Equality, we advance the rights of LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants by advocating for lasting changes in our immigration system. We educate policymakers on the particular dangers that LGBTQ and HIV-positive individuals face, and work with them to advance bills that correct those harms. 
3. Impact Litigation
   Through litigation on behalf of individuals and families, we seek to change discriminatory policies affecting LGBTQ and HIV-positive people across the country.
   
   

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