RELEASE: Immigration Equality Expands Efforts to Resettle LGBTQ Refugees

Ramanathans Extend Commitment to $500,000 over Five Years to Build Out Program

NEW YORK, NY (December 14, 2022) — Today, Immigration Equality announced an expansion of its commitment to resettle LGBTQ refugees to safe countries. The move followed a multi-year pledge from Erik and Ranesh Ramanathan to support efforts to help LBGTQ refugees flee persecution and find safety in the United States, Canada, and other countries.

“In 2021, the Ramanathans approached Immigration Equality to challenge us to create a program to protect LGBTQ Afghan refugees. That became the backbone for our efforts to refer more than 60 refugees from Afghanistan through the U.S. State Department to Canada,” said Aaron C. Morris, Executive Director of Immigration Equality. “So far, 29 Afghans are already living safely in Canada. With this five-year expanded commitment from the Ramanathans, we will ensure the other individuals we are assisting find safety, and then build a scalable program helping hundreds more.”

Often underserved by existing agencies due to limited efficacy in outreach, poor cultural competence in working with this population, or reluctance of LGBTQ people to identify themselves outside of their own community, LGBTQ refugees are much less likely to access resettlement opportunities than the general population. They are also in great danger in refugee camps, where LGBTQ people are frequently targeted for abuse because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Erik and I are so thankful to have had the ability to further advance the mission of such an outstanding and effective organization as Immigration Equality,” said Ranesh Ramanathan, co-lead of global law firm Akin Gump’s integrated special situations & private credit practice. “We have a long history working with this human rights NGO, and we’ve been impressed at what this team has achieved in only a year. With the support of Akin Gump, our family looks forward to assisting the organization in their growth.”

Immigration Equality is a U.S-based human rights organization offering free legal representation to LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and their families. It also advocates for sensible and humane immigration policy reforms, and engages in immigration-related impact litigation to protect the LGBTQ and HIV-positive community.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, has demonstrated consistent support for Immigration Equality, with over $4.2 million worth of pro bono hours donated to the organization in addition to financial contributions.

Erik and Ranesh Ramanathan served on Immigration Equality’s Board from 2000-2010. Erik is currently the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden.

“Erik has worked his entire career on behalf of LGBTQ communities, and inspired by our own journey, has focused on immigrant and refugee populations in particular,” added Ranesh. “I’m proud to be a partner at Akin Gump, whose long-term support of LGBTQ people in need, and whose decade-long partnership with Immigration Equality, matches our own ambitions for the organization.”

To make a gift in support of the life-saving work of Immigration Equality, visit www.immigrationequality.org/donate. To join the Ramanathans in launching and growing this new program, please contact Jaime Bayo, Development Director, at jbayo@immigrationequality.org.

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