Recent policy proposals call for increased entanglement between immigration enforcement and state and local police, which undermines existing protections for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. This will reduce the likelihood of immigrant victims or witnesses reporting crimes and create unprecedented fear for immigrant families and communities. The reports presented in this document illustrate these problems.
Related Resources
Webinar: New Public Charge Policy Updates: Their Impact on Immigrant Survivors
An informational webinar providing up-to-date analysis on the impact of the public charge inadmissibility rule on immigrant survivors. Join us to learn more about how determinations will be made, which survivors will be exempt, and how the rule will impact survivors and their families.
Infographics: Trauma-Informed Advocacy for Survivors of Human Trafficking at Points of Contact, 2020
What survivors of human trafficking and the advocates who work with them have taught us about practicing trauma-informed advocacy at various points of contact. A set of shareable infographics
UPDATED Advisory: Are Victim Services Programs Liable for Criminal “Harboring” When they Work with Immigrant Survivors of Crime? 2019
This Advisory answers common questions about providing shelter and other program services to undocumented victims, describes the law and federal policy, and proposes best practices for programs
Advisory Revised Aug 2019: How Will ‘Public Charge’ Proposed Policy Changes Impact Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a final rule, published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2019, which significantly changes longstanding policy about the meaning and application of the “public charge” inadmissibility provisions of immigration law. According to DHS, this is to ensure that non-citizens “who are admitted to the United States, seek extension of stay or change of status, or apply for adjustment of status will be self-sufficient, i.e., will rely on their financial resources, as well as the financial resources of the family, sponsors, and private organizations.”
Advisory: How Do Recent HUD Proposed Rules About Verification of Immigration Status Impact Survivors of Domestic & Sexual Assault?
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed regulations that change longstanding policy relating to immigration status verification requirements and disallowing those ineligible for federal housing assistance (i.e., members of “mixed-status” households) from residing in HUD’s public and specified assisted housing programs. This advisory describes impacts of the proposed rule on immigrant survivors of violence
May 2019 Advocate & Legal Services Findings: Immigrant Survivors Fear Reporting Violence
In May 2019, a coalition of national organizations gathered feedback from nearly six hundred advocates and attorneys from across the United States, learning that many immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence are now too afraid to call the police or go to court to get help. The advocates report that survivors have an increased fear of deportation, retaliation by their abusers, and separation from their children.
November 2017