Addressing Global Human Rights Violations in Rhode Island: The Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic

Area of Science:

• Medical-Legal Partnerships
• Asylum Seeker Health
• Human Rights Advocacy

Background:

• Undocumented immigrants face significant barriers in obtaining legal status.
• Medical affidavits can corroborate trauma and improve asylum case outcomes.
• Physicians for Human Rights supports medical-legal collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic's (BHRAC) program, partnerships, and workflow.
• To present demographic and operational statistics from BHRAC's seven years of activity.
• To advocate for increased medical professional engagement in asylum support.

Main Methods:

• BHRAC, a medical student-led organization, collaborates with clinicians, lawyers, and community groups.
• Pro bono medical evaluations are conducted to document physical and psychological trauma.
• Data collected includes demographics, case outcomes, and affidavit request trends.

Main Results:

• Since 2013, BHRAC has performed 55 medical evaluations.
• The majority of cases involved Spanish-speaking women from Guatemala, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic.
• Thirteen individuals have been granted legal status; one was denied; others are pending.

Conclusions:

• BHRAC's model effectively supports asylum seekers through medical-legal collaboration.
• There is a significant and increasing demand for medical affidavits in asylum cases.
• Medical professionals are urged to participate in human rights and asylum advocacy.