Welcome to the May 2025 issue of CVT World, CVT’s periodic compilation of the latest news, stories and public activities from our team.

CVT’s 40th Anniversary Arrives amid Sweeping Change

On May 14, 2025, CVT recognizes our 40^th anniversary during a time of enormous change. These have been difficult days since the large majority of our international funding was halted by the U.S. government. “But we are the Center for Victims of Torture. We have worked for 40 years every day with people who know the true meaning of loss, pain and resilience,” said Dr. Simon Adams, president & CEO. “We will reemerge strong and ready to do everything it takes to make this world a better place for our clients and their communities.” Read the article here.

We will reemerge strong and ready to do everything it takes to make this world a better place for our clients and their communities.”

-Dr. Simon Adams, CVT president & CEO

The U.S. Must Process all Refugees as Quickly as Afrikaners

CVT released this statement today in response to the Trump administration flying white South Africans to the U.S. while holding the refugee resettlement program closed. “Resettling white South Africans to the United States, through expedited processing no less, while the administration claims it can’t resettle refugees fleeing war and torture and other forms of persecution – some of whom were already approved to come to the United States – is indefensible,” writes Yumna Rizvi, senior policy analyst.

Op Ed Article in Just Security: “In Congress, a Welcome, But Flawed, Step to Stop Trump’s Transfers to Torture”

While Congress takes necessary steps to curb the Trump administration’s transfers of migrants to places like CECOT prison in El Salvador, known for torture and human rights violations, concerns are raised in this article by Scott Roehm, director of global policy & advocacy, and Rebecca Ingber, law professor at Cardozo Law School. The authors question language in the El Salvador 502B resolution, most notably that “it potentially creates a false dichotomy with respect to who merits protection under U.S. and international law, in particular the prohibition on transfers to torture.” They write, “The prohibition on transfer to torture is a fundamental human right. It is universal.”

The prohibition on transfer to torture is a fundamental human right. It is universal.”

Scott Roehm, director of global policy & advocacy, and Rebecca Ingber, Cardozo law professor

CVT Statement: Trump Administration Continues to Violate Prohibition on Torture

Yumna Rizvi issued this statement in response to reports that the Trump administration will render immigrants to Libyan prisons. She writes, “The Trump administration continues to destroy the rule of law, lives and communities with its performative efforts to intimidate immigrants as it actively sends people to torture dungeons.”

New Mobile Model for CVT Proyecto Mariposa Team

The work of CVT’s Proyecto Mariposa team in Tucson is celebrated in this newsletter published by U.S.- Mexico Border Philanthropy ​Partnership. The team is using a new mobile model so they can extend care to people in multiple locations in Southern Arizona, providing mental health care and destination case management services to asylum seekers and their families.

CVT Joins Lawsuit against the U.S. Government to Challenge Cuts to Foreign Aid Funding

CVT joined a lawsuit seeking relief from the Trump administration’s termination of foreign assistance funding that has forced us to stop providing life-saving clinical services to clients overseas. “Shutting our programs down doesn’t advance any legitimate interest, foreign policy or otherwise. It’s causing suffering for the sake of causing suffering, and we’re not going to stand for it,” said Scott Roehm. Public Citizen attorney Lauren Bateman said, “We will continue to fight to restore funding to organizations doing important and life-saving work around the world.” Read the press release here.

We also published this article about joining the lawsuit. “You can’t just lock the door to a clinic for torture survivors with deep psychological wounds, in the middle of their healing work, without violating basic ethical responsibilities and potentially putting their lives at risk,” said Scott Roehm. Simon Adams said, “Clients from countries that have been devastated by conflict were coming to CVT and finding hope.”

Washington Post Commentary: 100 Days after Funding Cuts

Simon Adams and Solyana Gebru, who for many years served as counselor and associate trainer at CVT Ethiopia, are quoted in this article in the Washington Post about impacts after 100 days of U.S. foreign aid cuts. Simon said that the pause “meant telling people who survived torture and fled from authoritarian regimes and from active conflict zones that the treatment that we were providing them was finished, without any advance warning.” Solyana expressed her concern for clients, “Some clients were suicidal and found it ‘difficult to start to be hopeful and see the future’ after the violence of war, she said.”

Good News – New Healing Project in Ethiopia

After several very challenging months, we have received approval for a project in Ethiopia which will allow us to bring psychosocial care to displaced populations in Tigray. Funding is for 12 months initially through a sub-award from the Danish Refugee Council, and CVT Ethiopia is taking steps now to launch activities. “CVT and its clients have experienced a lot of loss recently; the opportunity to resume lifesaving support for survivors in Tigray, albeit on a smaller scale than before, offers a glimmer of hope for those in need of our services,” said Neal Porter, director of international services.

. . . the opportunity to resume lifesaving support for survivors in Tigray, albeit on a smaller scale than before, offers a glimmer of hope for those in need of our services.”

-Neal Porter, director of international services

Access to Minnesota Health Care and the Whole Person Health Summit

Sara Nelson, program manager, is mentioned in this MinnPost opinion article about disparities in access to health care in Minnesota, written by leaders at St. Thomas University as part of the Whole Person Health Summit this week. Sara, who spoke at the event, is mentioned along with a colleague from the Minnesota Immigrant Movement for their efforts to bring community voices to health care work. The authors write, “Their efforts to sustain culturally responsive services, particularly during times of policy uncertainty, remind us that communities are the first to feel the impact of structural shifts, and often the first to step up with solutions.”

From de Volkskrant: “Crypto Mining in a High-Voltage Country”

Medhanye Alem, clinical program director, is quoted in the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant in this article about the huge growth of crypto businesses in Ethiopia. The reporter looks at impacts of crypto energy consumption and mining on Ethiopia during this time when impacts are also being felt as the U.S. has been cutting humanitarian funding. Medhanye comments on impacts of this funding, saying, “This is life-threatening for the people we work with.”

A Vicious Performance Born of U.S. Torture

“Guantánamo Bay is synonymous with torture. It is a symbol of injustice, Islamophobia and impunity,” writes Yumna Rizvi in this article. She writes about the Trump administration’s sending immigrants to Guantánamo as well as to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador, without due process. She writes, “Using these two prisons is a performance that leverages the ugliest, most craven aspects of the United States’ reputation as torturers in order to intimidate and to vilify immigrants.”

Guantánamo Bay is synonymous with torture. It is a symbol of injustice, Islamophobia and impunity.”

-Yumna Rizvi

New Tactics Honored by Macalester College: Presidents’ Community Partner Award

Shown are Derek Johnson, assistant director, Community Engagement Center, Kofi Annan IGC, Ally Rose Mueller, Macalester Off Campus Work Study student with New Tactics, Nancy Pearson and Ruth Janisch, associate dean of KAIGC.

Nancy Pearson, CVT New Tactics training manager, accepted the Presidents’ Community Partner Award from Campus Compact at Macalester College in St. Paul at their Annual Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship Spring Celebration. New Tactics, and Nancy in particular in her role as supervisor, has worked with student interns for years, providing mentorship and deeply meaningful opportunities to learn about human rights work. This award was also honored Friday by Seed Coalition at their annual awards event.

New Articles from CVT New Tactics in Human Rights

• Basil Ibrahim, MENA trainer, wrote this article about participation in the U.S.-Jordan Leadership Exchange Program (UJLEP) program, calling it “a transformative journey for both my professional and personal growth.” The program included six days of leadership training, four weeks in the U.S. with a nonprofit organization, as well as an action project. Basil writes, “I grew as a leader through this journey.”
• This article by Dania Hassouneh, New Tactics training assistant, covers her participation in the Lazord International Conference held in Aswan, Egypt. Lazord supports development and skills-building of professionals in the Arab and Mediterranean region. A Lazord fellow, Dania participated in sessions with community organizations, leadership education and networking, writing “The knowledge gained, the relationships formed, and the shared experiences with fellows from Egypt, Greece, and Jordan were invaluable.”

Delivering Trauma-Focused Physiotherapy Interventions for Trauma-Exposed Refugees

A Qualitative Study Exploring Perspectives and Experiences from Jordan and Kenya: Ilona Fricker, clinical advisor for physiotherapy, and Dr. Shannon Golden, evaluation and research lead, were among the authors of this report. The article was published by Physiotherapy Theory and Practice.

Implementing the ‘Integrated Model for Supervision’ for MHPSS Programming within Humanitarian Emergencies

Former colleague Sandra Githaiga was an author of this report from Comprehensive Psychiatry, which is subtitled “A Mixed-Methods Evaluation Across Six Humanitarian Contexts.”

Global Partners Call for International Funding

As the U.S. government funding cut crisis grows, global partner organizations coordinated statements calling for the international community to fund rehabilitative care as the U.S. pulls its funding. CVT is in the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC) with these partners. Read statements from: Omega Research Foundation, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) and Redress.

Working in Coalition with Partners

Working with partners brings strength to CVT’s policy advocacy. We regularly participate in organized coalition actions that support survivors of torture. Below are some of these coalition and partner actions.

• CVT endorsed this letter to President Trump, organized by Rep. Pramila Jayapal with numerous members of congress, denouncing the anti-immigration actions taken during the administration’s first 100 days. The authors write to the president that “. . . your Administration’s actions have deliberately eroded, evaded, and obfuscated the foundational democratic norms enshrined in our Constitution, including due process, freedom of expression, and separation of powers.”
• CVT endorsed this letter to President Trump, written by U.S. senators and led by Sen. Durbin, calling on the president to rescind his claim that he will transfer incarcerated U.S. citizens to El Salvador and also to immediately facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was rendered to CECOT prison in El Salvador. The authors write, “Your unprecedented actions threaten the constitutional protections of all Americans and violate the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded.”
• CVT endorsed this letter from Congresswoman Jayapal and colleagues, urging President Trump to halt use of family detention. The authors write, “Multiple administrations have tried to use family detention, only to find it does nothing to prevent families from seeking safety here and instead serves only to traumatize new generations of children.”