Last week, the US Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Originally enacted in 1994, VAWA provides federal funding toward the prosecution of violent crimes against women and includes provisions for undocumented immigrant women. Today, Reform Immigration FOR America’s Action Alert discusses the VAWA Reauthorization bills before the House. In Reform Immigration FOR America’s Action Alert, it shared that the house has before it the Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal (H.R. 4970) and the H.R. 4271 version introduced by US Representative Gwen Moore.
Now, the VAWA reauthorization bill passed by the Senate is before the US House of Representatives. But those vital protections for immigrant women in the Senate version of VAWA are removed from the Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal before the House. In fact, the Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal (H.R. 4970) gives abusers more power, not less, over their victims. Tell your representatives in Washington, DC: Support all women. Support H.R. 4271 (US Representative Gwen Moore VAWA Proposal) and oppose H.R. 4970 (Adams-Foxx-Cantor VAWA Proposal).
H.R. 4970 (Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal) would require survivors of domestic violence and other crimes to be interviewed by local immigration offices, not specifically trained in victim issues.
H.R. 4970 (Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal) requires women to report abuses within 60 days, placing further restrictions on women who have limited access to services, fear law enforcement, or may have language barriers to report the crimes committed against them.
H.R. 4970 (Adams-Foxx-Cantor proposal) would allow abusers to participate in the self-petition process — a process that allows women married to citizens or Legal Permanent Residents to apply for legal status without their spouse using their immigration status as a tool of abuse.
As Reform Immigration FOR America shared in its Action Alert, there is another option—-H.R. 4271 version introduced by US Representative Gwen Moore.
US Representative Gwen Moore has introduced her version of VAWA (H.R. 4271) which protects immigrant women. Congresswoman Moore’s bill makes sure that every single woman in this country can fully access the protection granted under a true Violence Against Women Act.
Congresswoman Moore’s bill ensures the protections all women – including immigrant women – have received for 18 years under VAWA remain intact.
With your help, advocates for battered women and their children can stop the Adams-Foxx-Cantor bill and support a bill that would keep immigrant women safe. Please tell your representative now to support H.R. 4271 and oppose H.R. 4970.
Source(s): Reform Immigration FOR America. www.congress.org.
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art
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