Broadsheet has the unfortunate news that an amendment may be tacked on to the immigration bill that would make women's immigration status known to federal authorities if they report domestic violence to local police.
Currently the Violence Against Women Act protects women by preventing local law enforcement from disclosing immigration status to the feds. But this amendment would essentially junk that portion of VAWA in the name of facilitating "information sharing between federal and local law enforcement officials related to an individual's immigration status," as the amendment's authors, Republican Senators Norm Coleman and Pete Domenici, put it. Broadsheet reports,
"This is an extraordinary attempt to punish the undocumented immigrants in our country," said Olga Vives, NOW's executive vice president, in a phone call with Broadsheet just now. "Their lives are at stake here, in particular those women who are dependent on the immigration status of their partners. For victims of domestic abuse, this is a double whammy."
Immigrant women are more likely to face additional language and cultural barriers to reporting domestic violence and accessing services. They are more likely to be isolated and abused economically, and many of their abusers use deportation as a threat. So without the special protections in VAWA, it's a safe assumption that these women would be even less likely to report domestic violence
NOW has a detailed letter on why this amendment is bad news, and also an action item so you can ask your Senator to say NO.
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Senators Coleman and Domenici- both up for re-election next year, hint hint- introduce the Deport Women By Beating the Hell Out of Them Act. Because, you know, they're assholes.... Read More
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I believe that if a woman (or man) is getting the shit beat out of her (or him) that she should automatically be granted amnesty. I mean, for Christ's sake, hasn't she (or he) already been through enough? Of course, I guess there is also that possibility that she came here against her will in the first place, right? Ugh. Why does a person's citizenship status even have to be an issue in cases like these? I swear, I often think that when it comes to immigration issues many of my fellow Americans have lost all sense of humanity.
That's insane. As a rule, no victim of any kind of serious crime should face deportation as a result - that just breeds more crime when the criminals aren't reported.
That aspect of the law would be bad news. Fortunately, even if it passed IMO it's entirely possible that police would not really enforce it (although there are highly publicized issues w/r/t local police bringing in illegal immigrants, most domestic police don't want to get involved in the issue all that much.)
The rest of the letter? Not so hot. Too bad this really good issue got mixed in a position paper with a lot of weaker stuff.
let me be the first to say: WTF??!?!!!?!????
This looks to be one of those odious poison pill amendments to make passage of the overall bill even more unpalatable. The fact that it's being done by two Republican Senators strongly indicates that their lunatic base doesn't want any sort of bill passed that doesn't involve mass deportations and razor wire.
Sailorman: I'm curious to hear why you think the letter has "a lot of weaker stuff." It's a statement about the implications that the Senate CIR bill (the post has it wrong, it's not about the Coleman Amendment) would have on immigrant women.
I'm not going to derail this thread analyzing the other aspects of the NOW letter, though I'll probably post on it on my own blog for those few who want to read it :)
Back on topic, though: I'm fully on board with NOW's (and Ann's) belief that the abuse-reporting stuff sucks. FWIW, I just wrote my own even-more-detailed post explaining why it sucks. (can anyone explain how the heck I post a trackback to here?)
For those of you who don't know how to easily counter the "but it's a deterrent effect!" argument (hint: it's a lot like arguments against HPV vaccination) you may find it interesting.
http://moderatelyinsane.blogspot.com/2007/06/now-takes-stance-on-illegal-immigration.html
i appreciate this post =)
law enforcement is obsolete as a service to the immigrant community as long as it is cooperating with immigration enforcement.
people in the immigrant community are always in fear of deportation, this is merely a highlighting of an issue that immigrants have to deal with every day, especially recently since the creation of the ICE under homeland security, and the raids they have been strategically using as a tool for creating an atmosphere of fear and subordination.
many counties and cities, such as san francisco, have passed 'sanctuary' laws which prevent local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE (local law enforcement currently has no legal requirement to corporate with immigration enforcement).
this is a huge issue in the county that i live in right now (sonoma county, northern california). it is blatantly racial profiling when an ICE officer can ride along with the sheriff and basically ask anyone they want for documentation, and of course they are not going to ask white people. if people in the immigrant community live in fear of the police and cannot afford to call the police for help in a situation, this makes the police useless because the one thing they're good for doesn't apply.
we are currently fighting for a sanctuary law. the situation with the police here is so out of hand...they set up "DUI" checkpoints in the neighborhood that the immigrant population is concentrated in, where there are no bars, at 7PM, when people are coming home from work, instead of downtown at 2am. cops score cars from people with no license so they can auction them off, while strategically reminding that community who has the upper hand. 5 people have been killed this year at the hands of law enforcement, most of which were mentally imbalanced, including one 16 year old.
Geez. In Canada, fleeing domestic violence is one of the few grounds on which you can stay in the country and change your status. Seems like the US is going in the direction of the UK, which offers no protection to women who are illegal/undocumented whatsoever. How humane.