Standing up for the human rights of immigrant, Black and Muslim communities
As legal and advocacy director at Project South, Azadeh Shahshahani works to protect the human rights of migrants and of Black and Muslim communities throughout the Southeast.
Work that changed policy
Azadeh helped document abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia, including invasive gynecological procedures performed on detained women without their consent. That work led to a U.S. Senate investigation and hearing—and to every detained migrant being removed from the facility.
Closer to home, she played a key role in persuading the City of Atlanta to stop holding immigrants in the city jail. She also served as co-counsel in a lawsuit on behalf of detained immigrants who were subjected to forced labor at the Stewart Detention Center.
A career in civil rights
Before joining Project South, Azadeh directed the national security and immigrants’ rights project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. She is also a past president of the National Lawyers Guild. She earned both a master’s degree and her law degree from the University of Michigan.