Action Alert: Propel VAWA Forward Today

The #MeToo movement has shown that we need national attention to address the needs of survivors of gender-based violence. It also is a call to organizational and individual advocates to work as one to prevent and end this harassment, battery, assault and rape. It is critical that policymakers respond to this powerful movement by supporting policies and programs that support survivors and hold perpetrators accountable. But right now, Congress is sitting on a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (H.R.6545), one of the nation’s single most effective tools in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This bill needs many more supporters if we are going to avoid the expiration of VAWA which is only authorized through September 30, 2018.

We are calling on you today to help us ensure that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) gets reauthorized, with all of the new critical proposals that are included in the current reauthorization bill: housing protections, protection from abusers with guns, justice for survivors on tribal land and increased prevention funding.

There are three key things you can do right now to propel VAWA forward today:

  1. Call your Representative right now. If they haven’t signed on as a co-sponsor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 6545), ask them to do so immediately. VAWA has always been bipartisan in the past, so it is particularly important to get support from Republican Representatives. If your Representative has signed on as a co-sponsor to H.R. 6545, please call them and thank them. Use this link to find your Representative, and then check out this list to see if they have signed on to support VAWA yet.
  2. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor for your local paper about the importance of reauthorizing VAWA. Members of Congress and their staff closely monitor local media, and if your Representative knows that there is community support for this, they’re more likely to support VAWA. See our templates here, and check out this great resource from The Op-Ed Guide and Indivisible about how to write and submit a great op-ed on an issue that matters to you.
  3. Sign a letter of support. If you’re part of an organization that would care about this topic, such as a workplace or a local organizing group, you can sign on to our letter of support from organizations here. We’ll be delivering this to Congress next month as evidence of widespread support of reauthorizing VAWA.

AND

If you want to learn more about VAWA and the critical enhancements in H.R. 6545 register for a webinar hosted by the NTF titled “VAWA Reauthorization: What’s in it, and what happens next.”

Let’s put the pressure on, and move VAWA’s passage forward today. With your help, we know we can do it!   For more information, contact Dorian Karp at dkarp@jwi.org.

More Details

If your Member is not a sponsor, please contact them with this message: We need the Violence Against Women Act reauthorized now.  Survivors can’t wait for lifesaving responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee has introduced H.R. 6545, moderate legislation reauthorizing VAWA that Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle can support. Please co-sponsor this legislation today!

If a staff person acts like their Member might sponsor, please send their contact info to patreuss@verizon.net or your group’s policy person working on VAWA (including name of their Member and state) and we’ll get other groups to call in support.  If they say “yes she/he will sponsor,” let Pat or organizational contact know but also advise them to contact Rep. Jackson Lee’s staff: Monalisa Dugué, (202) 225-6906 Monalisa.dugue@mail.house.gov<mailto:Monalisa.dugue@mail.house.gov.  

What does the bill do?

  • Increases authorization for the Rape Prevention & Education Program from $50 million to $150 million to address skyrocketing need and demand for community prevention programs.
  • Returns sovereignty to tribes to prosecute non-native offenders of sexual assault, trafficking, stalking, and child abuse.
  • Adds new definitions including Abuse in Later Life; Alternative Justice Response; Digital Services; Forced Marriage; Economic Abuse; and Technological Abuse and updates the definition of domestic violence.
  • Strengthens public housing protections for survivors including those seeking housing transfers based on safety concerns.
  • Adds a new purpose to the Improving Criminal Justice Response grant program to implement alternative justice responses that are focused on victim autonomy, agency and safety to provide resolution and restitution for the victim.
  • Strengthens privacy protections across state line, online with digital records, and preserves confidentiality upon survivor’s death in accordance with their wishes.
  • Acknowledges the trauma of incarceration on women and their family members, especially their children, and improves health care services and trauma informed responses to better prepare incarcerated women to return to their communities.
  • Improves enforcement of current federal domestic violence-related firearms laws and closes loopholes to reduce firearm-involved abuse and intimate partner homicide.
  • Expands VAWA’s ability to respond to sexual harassment.

Know that as you’re making your phone calls, we’re meeting with leaders in both the House and Senate to find additional support and bipartisan sponsors for a VAWA bill that protects all survivors.  

Together, we can insist Congress passes a strong, bipartisan bill that protects ALL survivors and prevents domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in our communities!

Join us on Social Media!

The hashtags for VAWA reauthorization are #VAWA4All and #VAWA18.

Congressional Twitter handles and Facebook accounts can be found here.

Example tweets with hashtag.

  • Tweets that already exist for VAWA 2018
  • I strongly support programs that prevent sexual and gender-based violence and protect individuals who have experienced violence. [@YourRepresentative], now is the time to reauthorize #VAWA18
  • Our world sees too much violence, and women are particularly impacted. [@YourRepresentative], act to prevent abuse and violence by reauthorizing #VAWA4All.
  • New Sample Tweets
  • Survivors can’t wait for lifesaving responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. [@YourRepresentative], now is the time to reauthorize #VAWA4All.
  • [@YourRepresentative], stand in solidarity with victims of gender-based violence. Support the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act! #VAWA18
  • All people deserve to lead violence-free lives, Congress has a duty to uphold this right! #VAWA18.

Program Specific

  • [@YourRepresentative], gender-based violence happens in our community, too. Reauthorize #VAWA4All and support prevention and education programs that keep our jurisdiction safes
  • Violence doesn’t discriminate and neither should our laws! [@YourRepresentative] support #VAWA4All and ensure Native survivors of gender-based violence have access to justice on tribal lands!
  • Violence doesn’t discriminate and neither should our laws! [@YourRepresentative], support #VAWA18 and ensure incarcerated survivors of gender-based violence have access to trauma-informed care!
  • [@YourRepresentative], support #VAWAReauth and ensure survivors of domestic abuse access to safe housing!
  • [@YourRepresentative], reducing access to firearms saves lives! Support #VAWA18 and help prevent firearm-involved intimate partner homicides.
  • Reauthorize #VAWA4ALL so schools are equipped to protect young survivors! #VAWA18
  • Young survivors can’t wait for lifesaving responses to dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Now is the time to reauthorize #VAWA4All
  • [@YourRepresentative], gender-based violence happens in our community and young people are at particular risk! Reauthorize #VAWA4All and support prevention and education programs that keep young people safe!
  • Young people deserve to lead violence-free lives, Congress has a duty to uphold this right! #VAWA18
  • Violence doesn’t discriminate and neither should our laws! [@YourRepresentative], support #VAWA18 and ensure young survivors of gender-based violence have access to justice!

For questions and more information, please contact Dorian Karp dkarp@jwi.org and she will help you or refer you to the appropriate party.

NTF Letter of Support for Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Dear Representative Sheila Jackson Lee,

We, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (“NTF”), applaud you for introducing the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018.  The NTF is a national collaboration comprising a large and diverse group of national, tribal, state, territorial, and local organizations, advocates, and individuals that focuses on the development, passage and implementation of effective public policy to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (“the four crimes”).  Your bill makes modest yet vital updates to the existing Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) that are based on the needs identified by direct service providers who work daily with victims and survivors of the four crimes. We appreciate your shared commitment to passing a bipartisan Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018 that is tailored to appeal to Members of Congress across the political spectrum.

Your bill makes important investments in prevention, a priority identified not only by people who work with victims and survivors daily but also by the bipartisan Women’s Caucus.  Providing resources to implement evidence-based prevention programming makes our communities safer and, ultimately, saves taxpayers money. It also safeguards important protections that ensure all victims and survivors have access to safety and justice and provides a mechanism to hold predators who prey on Native women accountable. Moreover, it provides law enforcement with new tools to protect their communities, offers protections for survivors in federal public, subsidized, and assisted housing, supports victims and survivors who need assistance rebuilding financially, addresses the needs of underserved communities, and improves the healthcare response to the four crimes.

In short, the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018 is a narrow bill with a wide impact.  We hope that your colleagues on both sides of the aisle will recognize the importance of this legislation to their constituents and join us in supporting it.  Thank you, again, for being a champion for victims and survivors.

Sincerely,

The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

NTF Letter to Congress RE: President's Executive Order on Family Separation Fails Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors

Dear Senators and Representatives,  

As the Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to end Sexual and Domestic Violence (“NTF”), a national leadership coalition advocating on behalf of the rights of sexual and domestic violence survivors, we represent thousands of organizations across the country dedicated to ensuring that all survivors of violence  are able to access the safety and justice they deserve. We write to denounce the White House’s Executive Order issued in response to the outcry from our communities and from Members of Congress regarding the ‘zero-tolerance’ policy of separating families. The inhumane response of continuing to detain children, by placing them alongside their parents in detention, will continue to traumatize children and harm survivors of sexual and domestic violence. The NTF, along with our partners, has long expressed our disagreement with the cruel practice of detaining immigrant families and we continue to denounce these policies due to the negative impact on victims of domestic and sexual violence and their children.

Not only is family detention for prolonged periods of time cruel, it is also costly and senseless, particularly when humane and cost-effective alternatives to detention have been demonstrated to be effective. The NTF calls for the end of family detention to prevent further harming and re-traumatizing survivors of violence; to provide families in detention meaningful access to legal services, counseling, and mental health services; and to develop a plan to reunify parents and children who have already been separated, especially in situations where a parent has been ordered removed.

Detention is re-traumatizing to survivors of violence.

Women and children are fleeing rampant violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and are seeking safety in the United States. Criminalizing the actions of those pursuing asylum is contrary to international human rights laws and contrary to the basic principles of this country. This Executive Order will likely have the effect of jailing, for months or even years, immigrant survivors and their children seeking safety in the U.S.  Given the intense restrictions and disciplinary rules within detention facilities, mothers retain limited autonomy, weakening authority which weakens their ability to effectively parent their own children. For young mothers who have faced domestic and/or gang violence and sexual abuse, a detention setting often exacerbates the trauma they and their children have already experienced due to their victimization.

Detained families need adequate access to legal services, counseling, and mental health services.

Family detention facilities are frequently in remote locations, far from communities that have the capacity to provide services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Legal, counseling, and mental health services are critical for women and children recovering from trauma suffered in their home countries and on their journey to the United States. In addition, in light of the complexities of the immigration process, it will be critical for detained families to obtain legal counsel and representation to navigate the byzantine immigration process. Moreover, it is often difficult in remote communities to ensure detained families have access to services in their own languages.

The Executive Order Fails to Address Currently Impacted Families        

In the past month, more than 2,000 children were separated from their parents, and many more were separated in the previous month. This Executive Order does nothing to provide direction on reunifying traumatized children with their parents, including parents who have already been removed from the United States.  Trading family separation for family detention is not an appropriate solution. Detention in itself is re-traumatizing and hinders the willingness and ability of survivors to share the experiences that may demonstrate their eligibility for vital legal protections. Courts, child development experts, medical professionals, and many others have clearly found that family detention traumatizes and harms children.

For this reason we ask Congress to terminate funding used to implement the Administration’s  “Zero Tolerance” policy and limit funding for the use of family detention centers, and instead allocate funding for non-intrusive alternatives to detention. Additionally, we call on Congress to preserve and defend provisions in our asylum laws that enable immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to seek life-saving refuge and protection when their countries’ officials fail to protect them from targeted violence.

We thank you for taking these important steps to help survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children who are fleeing persecution in their home countries attempting to find safe haven in the United States of America. 

For more information, please contact Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org, Rosie Hidalgo, Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network, rhidalgo@casadeesperanza.org,Kiersten Stewart, Futures Without Violence, kstewart@futureswithoutviolence.org, or  Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center, at ArchiP@tahirih.org.

Sincerely,

The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

Action Alert: Call Your Member of Congress TODAY to Stop Family Separation and Protect Immigrant Survivors

Call Your Member of Congress TODAY to Stop Family Separation and Protect Immigrant Survivors – Vote could be in the House TOMORROW!!!

1.  Find your Congressional Representative here and Tell Them to Oppose the two pending “moderate” (sic) Immigration Bills that Harm Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on two harmful immigration bills on Thursday, Please urge your Representatives to VOTE NO on: 

    Speaker Ryan’s Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018 (HR 6136) ;

    Representative Goodlatte's "Securing America's Future Act of 2018" (H.R. 4760)

Both of these bills attempt to address the Administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for several hundred thousand young people, but unnecessarily restrict access to the program, make drastic reductions to legal immigration, and eliminate protections for vulnerable children, many of whom are fleeing sexual and domestic violence or human trafficking, created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). Also, neither of these bills will stop the Administration's inhumane and shameful family separation policy. 

Call your Representative today!

-Find your Representative to Congress here, using your zip code. 

WHAT TO SAY 

My name is _______and I’m calling from [City and State]  I’m calling today to tell [Representative________ ] to vote NO on both the Goodlatte bill (HR 4760)  and the Paul Ryan Border Security And Immigration Reform Act (HR 6136). These bills will harm domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, fail to adequately protect Dreamers, limit protections existing for abused and neglected children, and fail to address the family separation crisis at the border. 

Background Information:

The American Immigration Lawyers’ Association has a brief summary of both bills available here.

Specific Impacts of HR 4760 on immigrant survivors:

  • Eliminates the ability of abused parents of U.S. citizens to apply for VAWA self-petition protections
  • Places limits on individuals on temporary worker (H) visas from filing civil actions for damages against their employers, potentially limiting the ability of those sexually assaulted or harassed at work from accessing justice
  • Establishes a benefit fraud assessment on various immigration programs including VAWA self-petitions, fiancée visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas, U-Crime victim visas, and asylum, among other immigration programs
  • Bars abused family members, including abused ex-spouses, of drug traffickers from obtaining legal status.
  • Undermines policies that local welcoming jurisdictions have determined are Constitutionally sound and are appropriate for their respective communities, and they decrease the ability of local law enforcement agencies to respond to violent crimes and assist all victims of crime, U.S. Citizens and immigrants alike.
  • Attempts to coerce local law enforcement agencies into sharing information with ICE by placing restrictions on federal law enforcement funding in grant conditions.
  • Expands criminal penalties for those who are present without authorization. 
  • Expands immigration penalties for individuals with domestic violence convictions, as well as the types of evidence immigration courts can consider in deporting individuals with domestic violence convictions.
  • Reduces access to Special Immigrant Juvenile status for abused and neglected children.

Specific Impacts of HR 6136 on immigrant survivors:

  • Excludes more potential DREAMERS from accessing a new “contingent visa” by excluding more individuals with certain domestic violence and child abuse convictions. The bill cross-references the broad Violence Against Women Act definitions of domestic violence and child abuse to exclude more potential DACA beneficiaries with such convictions. This cross-reference will create difficulties in expanding access to services for victims in other, future VAWA legislation by tying the definitions in VAWA to immigration consequences.
  • Expands definitions relating to domestic violence as a basis for deporting individuals and fails to provide exceptions or waivers for survivors who may have used violence against their abusers.
  • Undermines the work of local communities who’ve implemented welcoming policies that reduce law enforcement collaboration with ICE, policies that encourage immigrant victims to come forward, seek help, and cooperate with police.
  • Undermines important protections for minors who are fleeing sexual assault, domestic violence, and abuse who arrive from Northern Triangle countries, making it easier to deport them back to their countries from which they are fleeing violence.
  • Makes it harder for asylum seekers to flee persecution by increasing the standard of proof need to apply, likely halving the number of asylum seekers. By changing the law to facilitate the quick deportations of asylum seekers and make it harder to apply for asylum, victims fleeing sexual and domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, who could articulate a genuine fear of persecution will be deported anyway without the chance to collect evidence or present witnesses before a judge.

For more information contact ghuang@api-gbv.org

Statement of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Denouncing the Attorney General’s Decision in Matter of A-B

The Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF), comprised of national leadership organizations advocating on behalf of sexual and domestic violence victims and women’s rights, represents hundreds of programs, service providers and community organizations across the country dedicated to making sure that all survivors of violence receive the protections and services they need and deserve.  We are alarmed by the significant adverse impact of the June 11, 2018 Attorney General’s deeply disappointing decision in Matter of A-B-. 

The A.G.’s decision strikes at the heart of longstanding protections for domestic violence survivors and others who look to the United States for protection and refuge, taking us back to an era when domestic violence was considered a “private” matter; not meriting government intervention. This decision undermines decades of progress toward human rights policies that recognize the unique vulnerabilities of women and children who have experienced the trauma of violence and need secure immigration status to access safety.  By declaring that the lack of state intervention in domestic violence in other countries cannot be the sole basis for asylum in the U.S., the Attorney General is instituting a policy that will block thousands of people from obtaining refuge in the United States, condemning thousands of domestic violence victims to deportation to dangerous situations where they could very well lose their lives.

Already, this Administration’s policies have served to send the message to immigrant survivors of domestic violence that they are undeserving of safety and justice, making them more vulnerable to threats from abusers and more fearful that they will be separated from their children and communities. In this climate, the NTF calls on our nation’s policymakers to work together to uphold their commitment to all survivors – including through the protections of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) – and to forge a bipartisan, humane national immigration policy. 

Congress should reject the Attorney General’s decision in Matter of A-B-., and work in a bipartisan manner to exercise greater oversight of the Administration’s immigration policies that harm domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. As part of these efforts, Congress must preserve and defend provisions in our asylum laws that enable immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to seek life-saving refuge and protection when their countries’ officials fail to protect them from targeted violence. In addition, Congress must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to seek a more just and humane immigration system that protects survivors and strengthens families, communities, and the nation.

For more information, please contact Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center, at archip@tahirih.org, Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org, or Rosie Hidalgo, National Latin@ Network: Casa de Esperanza, at rhidalgo@casadeesperanza.org.

TAKE ACTION! 

  1. Find your Member of Congress here and ask them to protect and defend domestic violence victims and reject the Attorney General’s decision in Matter of A-B-.
  2. Sign Tahirih Justice Center’s online petition demanding that Jeff Sessions reverse his decision in Matter of A-B-.
  3. Use this statement as a template and draft op-eds for your local newspaper highlighting your support for critical protections for survivors of domestic violence seeking asylum in the United States.
  4. Post your statement on social media. Use these sample posts with the hashtags #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenToo.

Sample Facebook post

·         Attorney General Jeff Sessions just issued an alarming decision that undermines hard-won protections for women and girls fleeing domestic violence. Learn more and use your voice to stand up for immigrant survivors of domestic violence. #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenToo [INSERT LINK TO OP-ED OR PRESS STATEMENT]

Sample Tweets

·         Attorney General Sessions is attempting to close the door to women and girls fleeing persecution. Domestic violence survivors deserve access to safety & justice.  #ProtectSurvivors! #ImmigrantWomenToo

·         Women fleeing life-threatening persecution have a legal right to apply for asylum in the U.S. We must not let AG Sessions turn back the clock on protections #domesticviolence survivors! #ProtectSurvivors #ImmigrantWomenTo

Action Alert: Ask Congress to Co-Sponsor Lifesaving Legislation

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), first passed by Congress in 1984, is the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their children. Unfortunately, FVPSA has not been reauthorized since 2010, but Senators Heller (R-NV), Casey (D-PA), Grassley (R-IA), Coons (D-DE), and Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced S.2784, in the Senate, and Representatives Thompson (R-PA), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Stefanik (R-NY), and Moore (D-WI) have introduced H.R. 6014, in the House, the FVPSA Reauthorization Act. This critical straightforward reauthorization will help ensure that shelters and domestic violence programs can continue to keep survivors safe and provide essential services. Please ask your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor this lifesaving legislation today!

Below are steps for finding your Members, talking points for encouraging them to co-sponsor FVPSA and urge swift passage of the bill, and background information.

Thank you so much for your work on behalf of survivors!

Please Call your Members as soon as possible!

·         Find your House member: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

·         Find your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

·         You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be transferred to the appropriate offices.

·         Please ask to speak with a staff person who deals with domestic violence. If they are unavailable, leave a voicemail.

Tell them:

·         Domestic violence directly impacts one in four women and one in ten men over their lifetimes and approximately 15.5 million children every year. Violence and abuse is pervasive, costly, and can be deadly.

·         The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) is at the heart of our nation’s response to domestic violence.

·         FVPSA was first passed into law in 1984 and was most recently reauthorized in 2010. It is currently expired and needs to be re-authorized.

·         FVPSA supports life-saving services including emergency shelters, crisis hotlines, counseling, and programs for communities throughout the United States, including U.S. territories.

·         SENATE: Please cosponsor S.2784, the bipartisan FVPSA Reauthorization Act introduced by Senators Heller (R-NV), Casey (D-PA), Grassley (R-IA), Coons (D-DE), and Cornyn (R-TX), and urge its swift passage.

·         HOUSE: Please cosponsor H.R. 6014, the bipartisan FVPSA Reauthorization Act introduced by Representatives Thompson (R-PA), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Stefanik (R-NY), and Moore (D-WI), and urge its swift passage.

Background:

·         In addition to supporting local shelters and services, FVPSA provides funds to state domestic violence coalitions, tribes, national technical assistance and training programs, and a program dedicated to addressing the needs of children of domestic violence victims.

·         There are approximately 2,000 community-based domestic violence programs for victims and their children in the U.S.  They provide emergency shelter to approximately 1.3 million victims and offer services such as counseling, crisis lines, safety planning, legal assistance, and preventative education to millions of adults and children annually.

·         A multi-state study published in 2009 shows conclusively that the nation’s domestic violence shelters successfully address both urgent and long-term needs of victims of violence and help victims protect themselves and their children from further abuse.

Please contact Marium Durrani (mdurrani@nnedv.org) if you have any questions.

Statement on Prosecution of Parents with Children

Dear Secretary Nielsen,

The Steering Committee of the National Taskforce to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF)
comprises national leadership organizations advocating on behalf of sexual and domestic
violence victims and women’s rights. We represent hundreds of programs, service providers and community organizations across the country dedicated to making sure that all survivors of
violence receive the protections and services they need and deserve. With the announcement that the Department of Homeland Security is considering expanding the detention and criminal prosecution of parents seeking to cross the border with their children we urge you consider the impact these policies will have on immigrant victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and trafficking, as well as the long-term trauma that will be caused by separating these parents from their children.

Children separated from their parents often have more social and emotional problems and are
more likely to suffer poor health and less educational success due to the impacts of trauma on
their development. Attachment to a parent or caregiver in early childhood is one of the most
important milestones in the life trajectory. The bond between parent and child is essential in
building resilience in a child, even one growing up in difficult circumstances. Undermining this
protective factor in children by detaining and prosecuting their parents who are trying to protect them from harm will only serve to harm these children’s health and stability, both in the short term and the long term, with implications for not only them but their communities at large.

The countries from which these families and children escaped remain extremely dangerous.
Detention and removal will result in more domestic violence, sexual abuse, or even death. In
recent years, women and children fleeing rampant violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and
Honduras, have fled to the United States, seeking refuge. According to a recent United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) study, on Northern Triangle women seeking asylum
in the United States, prolonged instances of physical, sexual and psychological abuse in the
home are common reasons for flight. In recent years, the Northern Triangle countries of El
Salvador and Honduras have alternated in ranking as the murder capital of the world, and El
Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras are in the top five globally for rates of female homicides. 1
Domestic violence is reportedly the leading form of abuse against women and girls in El
Salvador and Honduras. 2  

In Guatemala, every 46 minutes a new case of sexual violence is reported, but the number
of incidents is likely much higher as many go unrecorded. 3 The Northern Triangle
countries have areas that are highly controlled by gangs, and women are often coerced
into joining. A woman’s duty to gang members is to “provide” sex for the members, and
initiation rituals for women frequently consist of being sexually assaulted on a regular
basis.

In many cases, the risk of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/ or trafficking in their
countries of origin remain unabated and victims subsequently attempt to enter the U.S. to
protect themselves and their children. Frequently, because of inadequate access to legal
representation, victims are unable to establish their eligibility for legal protections in the
United States, resulting in their removal. The Administration’s efforts to detain and
prosecute parents for seeking refuge with their children is unnecessarily cruel and will
serve to retraumatize and harm victims as well as their children whose crime is merely
that of seeking lives free of violence.

We Urge You to Cease the Prosecution of Parents

Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking and their children should
not be further endangered based on their inability to access justice or in hopes of
deterring others from escaping life-threatening circumstances in search of safety and
hope. For more information, please contact Grace Huang, Asian Pacific Institute on
Gender Based Violence at ghuang@api-gbv.org and Kiersten Stewart, Futures Without
Violence, at kstewart@futureswithoutviolence.org or Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center,
at ArchiP@tahirih.org. Thank you.
  
Sincerely,
The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

1 Geneva Declaration, Global Burdens of Armed Violence (Geneva: Geneva Declaration, 2015).
2 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection
Needs of Asylum-Seekers from El Salvador” (March 2016) and UNHCR, “Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the
International Protection Needs of Asylum Seekers from Honduras” (July 2016).
3 Claudia Palma, “Cada 46 minutos se comete una violación” Prensa Libre, May 16, 2016,
http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/ justicia/cada-46- minutos-se- comete-una-violacion

Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender Community

When the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson was questioned about the removal of training materials used to ensure access to housing services for transgender people, Carson invoked a too often used myth – that allowing transgender women access to shelters would “impede the rights of one for the sake of the other”- while also using words like “uncomfortable,” “anatomy,” and “complex.”  For those in the domestic and sexual violence field, the phrasing was clear code for justifying discrimination and even violence against transgender women by utilizing the myth that allowing transgender people to access shelters consistent with their gender identity places other residents in danger. This same language is currently being used in states around the country, such as upcoming ballot initiatives in Montana and Massachusetts, to push discriminatory legislation that would place transgender communities at higher risk of experiencing violence.

Hearing this myth from the Secretary of HUD was a reminder that, now more than ever, domestic and sexual violence survivors and service providers must stand with the transgender community to oppose this dangerous and false narrative and voice our support for non-discrimination protections, including the HUD Equal Access Rule, that are inclusive of transgender survivors and all survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

In 2016, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence released a consensus statement, signed by over 300 domestic violence and sexual violence organizations across the country, opposing anti-transgender initiatives and the dangerous myths used to support them. These organizations included rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, and service providers and others who work with countless survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence every day. These organizations value principles of safety, healing, and privacy, and they know that non-discrimination protections for transgender people do not impede these principles, but strengthen them. These organizations support transgender people’s access to gender- specific facilities as necessary for public safety.

We, representatives of the undersigned organizations, are renewing that commitment today and ask that domestic and sexual violence organizations that have yet to join this effort sign onto this statement now.

The fact is that the domestic and sexual violence field has been at the forefront of championing non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ survivors, whether the historic non-discrimination protections in the Violence Against Women Act or the Equal Access Rule promulgated by the HUD that includes explicit protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people. We serve everyone in domestic and sexual violence shelters and programs, including men, women, and non-binary survivors, as all individuals need a safe place to go when experiencing interpersonal violence. The reasoning is simple. Transgender people experience unconscionably high rates of sexual assault and domestic violence—and forcing them out of facilities consistent with the gender they live every day makes them further vulnerable to assault. As advocates committed to ending sexual assault and domestic violence of every kind, we will never support any discriminatory housing law or policy and will stand against any statements that could put anyone at greater risk for assault or harassment.

Ways to Take Action!

·         Sign onto the Consensus Statement: https://goo.gl/forms/KtiRtfm1aVQDIYV72

National Consensus Statement of Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender Community

We, the undersigned sexual assault and domestic violence organizations, oppose antitransgender initiatives. These initiatives utilize and perpetuate the myth that protecting transgender people’s access to restrooms and locker rooms endangers the safety or privacy of others. As organizations that care about reducing assault and violence, we favor laws and policies that protect transgender people from discrimination, including in accessing facilities that match the gender they live every day.

States across the country have introduced harmful legislation or initiatives that seek to repeal non-discrimination protections or restrict transgender people’s access to genderspecific facilities like restrooms. Those who are pushing these proposals have claimed that these proposals are necessary for public safety and to prevent sexual violence against women and children. As rape crisis centers, shelters, and other service providers who work each and every day to meet the needs of all survivors and reduce sexual assault and domestic violence throughout society, we speak from experience and expertise when we state that these claims are false.

Nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender people have existed for a long time. Over 200 municipalities and 18 states have nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender people’s access to facilities consistent with the gender they live every day. In some cases, these protections have been in place for decades. These laws have protected people from discrimination without creating harm. None of those jurisdictions have seen a rise in sexual violence or other public safety issues due to nondiscrimination laws. Assaulting another person in a restroom or changing room remains against the law in every single state. We operate and advocate for rape crisis centers and shelters all over the country, including in cities and states with non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Those protections have not weakened public safety or criminal laws, nor have they compromised their enforcement.

Nondiscrimination laws do not allow men to go into women’s restrooms—period. The claim that allowing transgender people to use the facilities that match the gender they live every day allows men into women’s bathrooms or women into men’s is based either on a flawed understanding of what it means to be transgender or a misrepresentation of the law.

It may be hard to understand the experiences of transgender people, especially if you have never met a transgender person. We believe in respecting the identities of transgender people. Transgender people live in a society that often discriminates against them and makes it much harder for them to participate in the routines of daily life.

The efforts to ban transgender people from using public restrooms obscures the fact that all of us, including transgender people, are deeply concerned about safety and privacy in restrooms. Transgender people already experience unconscionably high rates of sexual assault—and forcing them out of facilities consistent with the gender they live every day makes them vulnerable to assault. As advocates committed to ending sexual assault and domestic violence of every kind, we will never support any law or policy that could put anyone at greater risk for assault or harassment. That is why we are able to strongly support transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination protections—and why we oppose any law that would jeopardize the safety of transgender people by forcing them into restrooms that do not align with the gender they live every day.

It is natural to be concerned about safety and privacy. As advocates and survivors, we know the threat of sexual assault is real and pervasive. Every time we hear of someone who speaks of their assault or abuse, we feel their pain. The safety fears that many have, especially those who are survivors, are not baseless or irrational, nor should they be dismissed. However, discriminating against transgender people does nothing to decrease the risk of sexual assault.

Discriminating against transgender people does not give anyone more control over their body or security. Those who perpetuate falsehoods about transgender people and nondiscrimination laws are putting transgender people in harm’s way and making no one safer. We cannot stand by while the needs of survivors, both those who are transgender and those who are not, are obscured in order to push a political agenda that does nothing to serve and protect victims and potential victims. We will only accomplish our goal of ending sexual violence by treating all people, including those who are transgender, with fairness and respect.

National Organizations
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Association of University Women
American Dance Therapy Association
Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence
Battered Women's Justice Project
Break the Cycle
Center for Women Policy Studies
FaithTrust Institute
Futures Without Violence
Hollaback!
Just Detention International
Know Your IX
Legal Momentum
Men As Peacemakers
Men's Story Project
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
National Center for Victims of Crime
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Housing Law Project
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
National Latina@ Network: Casa de Esperanza
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Organization for Men Against Sexism
National Organization for Women
National Organization of Asian Pacific Islanders Ending Sexual Violence
National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault
National Organization for Victim Assistance
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National Women’s Law Center
Praxis International
Resource Sharing Project
Stop It Now!
Support Network of Advocates for Protective Parents
YWCA

State/Territorial and Local Organizations
Alabama
State
Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Montgomery)
AshaKiran, Inc. (Huntsville)
Alaska
State
YWCA Alaska (Anchorage)
Local
Sitkans Against Family Violence (Sitka)
Arizona
State
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (Phoenix)
Chrysalis (Phoenix)
Local
Apache Behavioral Health Services, Inc. (Whiteriver)
California
State
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Sacramento)
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (Sacramento)
Coalition for Family Harmony (Oxnard)
Local
A.M.E. Counseling Services (Los Angeles)
Alliance for Community Transformations (Mariposa)
Asian Women's Shelter (San Francisco)
Building Futures with Women and Children (San Leandro)
Center for Community Solutions (San Diego)
Family Service Agency of Burbank (Burbank)
Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (Los Angeles)
Lassen Family Services, Inc. (Susanville)
Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (Los Angeles)
Rural Human Services: Harrington House (Crescent City)
San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium (San Francisco)
Shepherd's Door Domestic Violence Resource Center (Pasadena)
STAND! For Families Free of Violence (Concord)
Strength United (Van Nuys)
Strong Hearted Native Women's Coalition, Inc. (Valley Center)
Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center (Santa Cruz)
Colorado
State
Alliance Against Domestic Abuse (Salida)
Alternatives to Violence (Loveland)
Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Denver)
Deaf Overcoming Violence through Empowerment (Denver)
Domestic Violence Initiative (Denver)
Local
Advocate Safehouse Project (Glenwood Springs)
Advocates for Victims of Assault (Dillon)
Estes Valley Crisis Advocates (Estes Park)
Project Safeguard (Denver)
RESPONSE (Aspen)
SafeHouse Denver (Denver)
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (Boulder)
Connecticut
State
Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence (East Hartford)
Local
Chrysalis (Meriden)
Delaware
State
Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Wilmington)
District of Columbia
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Washington, DC)
DC Rape Crisis Center (Washington, DC)
Florida
State
Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (Tallahassee)
Florida NOW (Indialantic)
Local
Brevard NOW (Satellite Beach)
Greater Orlando NOW (Orlando)
Women's Center of Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
Georgia
State
Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Decatur)
Local
Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center (Dalton)
Columbus Alliance for Battered Women, Inc. d/b/a Hope Harbour (Columbus)
Guam
Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence (Hagatna)
Hawaii
State
The Sex Abuse Treatment Center (Honolulu)
Idaho
State
Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (Boise)
Illinois
State
Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Springfield)
Illinois National Organization for Women (Springfield)
Local
Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network (Chicago)
Connections for Abused Women and their Children (Chicago)
HOPE of Ogle County (Rochelle)
Mano a Mano Family Resource Center (Round Lake Park)
Mujeres Latinas en Accion (Chicago)
Rape Advocacy Counseling and Education Services (Urbana)
Rape Victim Advocates (Chicago)
Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling Inc. (Rockford)
Indiana
State
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. (Indianapolis)
Local
Alternatives Incorporated (Anderson)
Coburn Place Safe Haven (Indianapolis)
Council on Domestic Abuse, Inc. (Terre Haute)
Crisis Connection, Inc. (Jasper)
Domestic Violence Network (Indianapolis)
Middle Way House (Bloomington)
Rush County Victims Assistance, Inc. (Rushville)
Turning Point Domestic Violence Services (Columbus)
Iowa
State
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Des Moines)
Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Des Moines)
Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa (Des Moines)
Local
Crisis Intervention Services (Oskaloosa)
Domestic Violence Intervention Program (Iowa City)
Kansas
State
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (Topeka)
Louisiana
State
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Baton Rouge)
Local
Faith House (Lafayette)
Metropolitan Center for Women and Children (Jefferson)
SAFE (Southeast Advocates for Family Empowerment) (Hammond)
Maine
State
Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Augusta)
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (Augusta)
Wabanaki Women's Coalition (Lincolnville)
Local
New Hope for Women (Rockland) 
Safe Voices (Lewiston)
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services (Lewiston)
Sexual Assault Services of Midcoast Maine (Brunswick)
Maryland
State
Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) (Silver Spring)
Maryland NOW (Silver Spring)
Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (Lanham)
Local
HopeWorks of Howard County (Columbia)
Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (Rockville)
Massachusetts
State
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (Boston)
Jane Doe Inc., the MA Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence (Boston)
Local
A Safe Place, Inc. (Nantucket)
Alternative House (Lowell)
Casa Myrna Vazquez (Boston)
DOVE, Inc. (Quincy)
Jewish Family & Children's Service (Waltham)
New Hope, Inc. (Attleboro)
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence (Waltham)
Transition House (Cambridge)
Minnesota
State
Sacred Hoop Coalition (Duluth)
Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (St. Paul) 
Local
Bluff Country Family Resources (Hokah)
Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (Minneapolis)
Tubman (Twin Cities)
Missouri
State
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Jefferson City)
Missouri NOW (Columbia)
Montana
State
Adapt Montana (Missoula)
Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Helena)
Nebraska
State
Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (Lincoln)
Local
Crisis Center (Grand Island)
Project Response, INC (Auburn)
Nevada
State
Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence (Reno)
Local
S.A.F.E. House (Henderson)
Safe Nest (Las Vegas)
Tahoe SAFE Alliance (Incline Village)
New Hampshire
State
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Concord)
Turning Points Network (Claremont)
YWCA NH (Manchester)
Local
New Beginnings - Without Violence & Abuse (Laconia)
New Jersey
State
New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Lawrenceville)
Local
YWCA Union County (Elizabeth)
New Mexico
State
New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NMCADV) (Santa Fe)
Local
Community Against Violence, Inc. (CAV) (Taos)
New York
State
Day ONE (New York City)
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Albany)
New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Albany)
Local
Advocacy Center of Tompkins County (Ithaca)
CONNECT (New York City)
Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center (Albany)
Delaware Opportunities Safe Against Violence (Hamden)
Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence (Buffalo)
First Step Victim Services at Catholic Charities of Chemung/Schuyler Counties (Watkins Glen)
Hope’s Door (Pleasantville)
My Sisters' Place (White Plains)
Safe Homes of Orange County (Newburgh)
Safe Horizon (New York City)
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, Inc. (Crisis Services) (Buffalo)
The Family Counseling Center (Gloversville)
The Safe Center LI, Inc. (Bethpage)
Vera House, Inc. (Syracuse)
VIBS (Islandia)
Victims Assistance Center of Jefferson County (Watertown)
Violence Intervention Program, Inc. (New York)
Willow Domestic Violence Center (Rochester)
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier (Lockport, Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda)
North Carolina
State
North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Durham)
North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (Raleigh)
North Carolina Women United (Raleigh)
Local
Families First Inc. (Whiteville)
Family Services of Davidson County (Lexington)
Help, Incorporated: Center Against Violence (Reidsville)
Ohio
State
ACTION OHIO Coalition For Battered Women (Columbus)
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (Cleveland)
Local
Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (Cleveland)
Oklahoma
State
Native Alliance Against Violence (Norman)
Local
Ponca Tribe Domestic Violence Program (Ponca City)
Oregon
State
Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Portland)
Local
Bradley Angle (Portland)
Lake County Crisis Center (Lakeview)
Safe Harbors (Enterprise)
Sexual Assault Resource Center (Beaverton)
Southern Oregon University Women's Resource Center (Ashland)
Pennsylvania
State
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Harrisburg)
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (Enola)
Local
Abuse & Rape Crisis Center (Towanda)
Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center, Inc. (Tarentum)
Berks Women in Crisis (Reading)
Blackburn Center Against Domestic & Sexual Violence (Greensburg)
Clinton County Women's Center (Lock Haven)
Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. (Philadelphia)
Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Allentown)
Crisis Center North (Pittsburgh)
HAVIN (Helping All Victims in Need) (Kittanning)
SafeNet (Erie)
Schuylkill Women in Crisis (Pottsville)
SWPA National Organization For Women (NOW) (Beaver)
The Abuse Network, Inc. (Lewistown)
The Women's Center, Inc. of Columbia/Montour Counties (Bloomsburg)
Transitions of PA (Lewisburg)
Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc. (Allentown)
Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe) (Butler)
Victims' Intervention Program (Honesdale)
Women In Transition (Philadelphia)
Women's Resource Center (Scranton)
Women's Resources of Monroe County, Inc. (Delaware Water Gap)
Women's Services, Inc. (Meadville)
YWCA Lancaster (Lancaster)
YWCA Northcentral PA (Williamsport)
Rhode Island
State
Day One (Providence)
South Carolina
State
National Assn. of Social Workers, SC Chapter (Columbia)
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Columbia)
Local
Family Justice Center of Georgetown and Horry Counties (Georgetown)
People Against Rape (Charleston)
Pickens County Advocacy Center (Easley)
SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition (Spartanburg)
Texas
State
The Texas Council on Family Violence (Austin)
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (Austin)
Local
Cross Timbers Family Services (Stephenville)
Freedom House (Weatherford)
Houston Area Women's Center (Houston)
The Crisis Center (Odessa)
The Family Place (Dallas)
U.S. Virgin Islands
Women's Coalition of St. Croix (St. Croix)
Vermont
State
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Montpelier)
Local
AWARE, Inc. (Hardwick)
CVOEO/Voices Against Violence (St. Albans)
Project Against Violent Encounters (Bennington)
Sexual Assault Crisis Team (Barre)
Women Helping Battered Women (Burlington)
WomenSafe (Middlebury) 
Virginia
State
True Help Organization (Reston)
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance (Richmond)
Local
Empowerhouse (Fredericksburg)
Washington
State
API Chaya (Seattle)
Crisis Support Network (Raymond)
Legal Voice (Seattle)
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (Olympia)
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) (Seattle)
Washington State NOW (Olympia)
Local
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, Inc. (Pullman)
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (Seattle)
Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence (Seattle)
DAWN (Kent)
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County (Everett)
Emergency Support Shelter (Longview)
Forks Abuse Program (Forks)
Jewish Family Service (Seattle)
Seattle NOW (Brier)
New Beginnings (Seattle)
Programs for Peaceful Living (Bingen)
SafePlace (Olympia)
The DoVE Project (Vashon)
YWCA Clark County (Vancouver)
YWCA Olympia (Olympia)
YWCA Pierce County (Tacoma)
YWCA Seattle|King|Snohomish (Seattle)
YWCA Yakima (Yakima)
West Virginia
State
West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Elkview)
Wisconsin
State
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin (Madison)
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA) (Madison)
Local
People Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse (Jefferson)
Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. (Marinette)
The Bridge to Hope (Menomonie) 
Wyoming
State
Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (Laramie)

ACTION ALERT: Asylum for Domestic Violence Survivors Suddenly Under Threat

Attorney General Sessions is poised to reverse long-settled policy that allows survivors of domestic violence to seek asylum protection. We need to tell him that we stand with survivors.

Aracely’s story began in Honduras, where she lived with her family in a small community. At age 15, a man in her village known for his violent temper kidnapped her. His abuse continued for years, until one day he shot Aracely in the head, killed her two sons, and then killed himself. Aracely, who was pregnant with a daughter, miraculously survived, as did her daughter. After that, her abuser’s family blamed Aracely for his death and threatened to kill her and her family. She tried escaping to another part of Honduras, but his family found her there. Aracely's only chance to stay alive was to flee to the United States, where she was granted asylum in 2015. AG Sessions is now seeking to retract existing policy that asylum officers and immigration judges should grant asylum to women fleeing severe domestic violence who meet a range of other stringent criteria. He just announced that he is redeciding a case, Matter of A-B-, in which a woman was granted asylum because she experienced extensive physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her domestic partner, much like Aracely. You can read more about it here.

If you have any questions, contact Archi Pyati, Tahirih Justice Center.