The Asylum Documentation Program has joined the National Immigrant Justice Center. The program, previously housed at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, collects and disseminates evidence to support cases of refugees seeking protection from human rights violations based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

"The National Immigrant Justice Center is proud to take on this program," said Jonathan Eoloff, coordinator of NIJC's National Asylum Partnership on Sexual Orientation. "As corroborating evidence is often required to support an asylum case, this documentation is critical for attorneys and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive refugees seeking protection in the United States and elsewhere."

NIJC's Asylum Documentation Project will:

• Research, monitor and collect data and documentation regarding country conditions related to persecution against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and HIV-positive individuals.

• Partner with asylumlaw.org and other LGBT and immigrant services organizations to disseminate country conditions information internationally to support applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection for LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants.

• Provide Know Your Rights manuals, pro bono attorney referral lists, and consultation to LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants who are detained throughout the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

• Monitor detention conditions of ICE detention facilities that hold LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants and track statistics about the LGBT and HIV-positive detention population.

The Asylum Documentation Project will be based in San Francisco, California. Dusty Aráujo will continue as the asylum documentation coordinator and can be reached via e-mail or at (415) 398-2759.