The Center conducts research on a variety of issues both domestically and internationally, including the prevalence of human rights violations in refugee settings, the health consequences of detaining asylum seekers, and the health consequences and effective treatment modalities for victims of torture and human rights violations.

The Center is committed to advocating on behalf of victims of torture and other human rights abuses and policies which affect them. This includes working at the city, state and federal levels of government. Staff from the Center have spoken in a number of public forums concerning the effects of immigration policies on asylum seekers, as well as speaking out against using or condoning torture in any way.