Spotlight on the Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative (LAHRI)

For people fleeing violence, persecution, or torture, seeking asylum in the U.S. can be a lifeline—yet navigating its complex legal and medical hurdles can be daunting without supporting documentation. This is where the Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative (LAHRI), a student-led asylum clinic at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, steps in.

Co-directed by second-year medical students Soraya Tarrah and Sarwat Siddiqui, under the supervision of faculty advisors, Drs. Sural Shah, Cecily Gallup, and Ariana Wilkinson, LAHRI provides crucial forensic medical and psychological evaluations free of charge to asylum seekers in Los Angeles. These evaluations document physical and emotional evidence of trauma that may corroborate an individual’s story of persecution, helping to strengthen their asylum applications.

Who Works with LAHRI?

For many of the students who work with LAHRI, it is their very first time working with asylum seekers. Regardless of their level of experience, volunteers are future physicians who share a commitment to supporting immigrant populations. Soraya explains, “As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve always felt connected to the stories of people navigating new systems, borders, and uncertainties. When I started medical school, I wanted to engage in work that honored those experiences, and LAHRI has been a natural fit.” Sarwat also discusses her own immigrant upbringing, adding to her strong commitment to human rights. “My experiences made me intimately cognizant of the vulnerabilities those from similar backgrounds to mine experience in the US healthcare system, and they drive my passion to become a physician who makes clinical settings welcoming, resourceful, and equitable for all communities. I was drawn to join LAHRI to continue working in spaces where I can medically support vulnerable groups assimilating in the US, such as asylum seekers, and advocate for their human rights.”

The Medical Student Role in Forensic Evaluations

“The way it works is pretty collaborative,” explains Sarwat. “We receive cases directly from attorneys who represent asylum seekers. Our medical student volunteers, who we call case managers, coordinate between attorneys and volunteer clinicians to facilitate the progress of the case. The clinician then conducts the forensic medical evaluation, while the medical student documents everything.”

Following the evaluation, the clinician and medical student work together to write a detailed medical affidavit — a legal document that details clinical evidence of torture, trauma, or ill-treatment. This affidavit is submitted back to the attorney and ultimately becomes a powerful piece of evidence in the client’s asylum case. 

Why Are Forensic Medical Evaluations So Important?

Soraya highlights the significance: “Many asylum seekers arrive without any medical or legal records to prove the harm they suffered. A forensic medical evaluation is an expert assessment that can objectively document scars, injuries, or psychological trauma consistent with their experiences.” This legal documentation can help prevent survivors from being sent back to dangerous situations. 

Sarwat adds: “Human rights work like this is rooted in a necessity for survival for those who are marginalized, and any work we can do to support individuals in need can make a big difference.”

Bearing Witness to Trauma

At LAHRI, medical students witness the profound impact of trauma firsthand. “We see physical injuries like scars, burns, or brain injuries from repeated trauma,” Soraya says. “Many asylum seekers have survived sexual and gender-based violence, gang assaults, or torture. There are also psychological wounds—PTSD, anxiety, depression—that aren’t visible but deeply affect their lives.”

It is not uncommon to feel emotionally impacted by this work. When asked how they have balanced witnessing the traumas of asylum seekers while also staying on top of their studies in medical school, we learned that “collaborating with peers at LAHRI has been invaluable in navigating the emotional challenges of this work.” When reaching out to fellow students during a time when the caseload was too much for the team, they shared that “the immediate and inspiring response to our call to action highlighted the dedication of so many medical students to human rights.” 

Faculty engagement in this work has also been crucial for students’ wellbeing. “Seeing our faculty advisors (Dr. Sural Shah, Dr. Cecily Gallup, and Dr. Ariana Wilkinson) navigate challenges and guide the clinic has also been incredibly helpful. Their direction and commitment at this stage of their careers reinforce the importance of this work and motivates our ongoing commitment.”

Shaping Medical Students’ Perspectives on Immigrant Health

Sarwat and Soraya have learned that social, legal, and structural contexts are intricately connected to healthcare access and health outcomes. “Working with LAHRI has shown us how trauma, legal uncertainty, and limited access to care directly affect health outcomes. This experience has strengthened our commitment to practicing trauma-informed care and has also demonstrated how physicians are uniquely positioned to advocate for immigrant health.”

Soraya adds, “Our medical training isn’t just about treating illness — it’s about advocating for vulnerable populations and recognizing how health and human rights are deeply interconnected.”

LAHRI’s Unique Support of Asylum Seekers

LAHRI’s success has stemmed, in part, from being connected to a broader coalition of asylum clinics through Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a leading human rights organization. Sarwat explains, “PHR helps distribute cases geographically, so clinics like ours get referrals. They also hold quarterly meetings to update us on policy changes and provide a space to share best practices with clinics around the country.”

LAHRI volunteers hope to increase support to asylum seekers in Southern California by collaboratively working with local communities. Soraya and Sarwat spoke of “setting-up collaborations with other asylum clinics, social work services, law firms, and advocacy groups.” They also shared the impact of both research and storytelling for asylum seekers. “We aim to continue highlighting the stories of asylum seekers to ensure their voices are heard and represented. Additionally, we hope to continue research initiatives, especially as asylum work experiences rapid policy shifts, so that our efforts remain sustainable and impactful throughout these changes.”

Ways to Get Involved

LAHRI’s important work offers a vital bridge between medicine and social justice, providing asylum seekers with the medical evidence they need to rebuild their lives. Through the passion and dedication of students like Soraya and Sarwat, as well as the clinician evaluators and faculty advisors who support asylum seekers, LAHRI reminds us of the essential role healthcare can play in advancing human rights.

For those interested in joining this important work, Sarwat offers encouraging advice: “There are lots of ways to get involved — one can complete web-based or in-person training courses to prepare to volunteer with organizations like LAHRI or PHR, or connect with local human rights groups. Even contacting your state/county representatives to encourage them to support policies that protect asylum seekers can make a difference.”

To volunteer with LAHRI, you can learn more by reaching out at contact@lahumanrights.org. DGSOM medical students can also volunteer with Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, a community organization that provides legal support to undocumented minors. To learn about opportunities to work with Esperanza, reach out to communityengagement@mednet.ucla.edu.