Rati’s Story
In December 2004, my family introduced me to a man in hopes of arranging our marriage. He appeared to be a promising partner—a handsome doctor with a bright future in the United States. At the time, I had accomplished much in my professional career and was ready to get married, which is why I agreed to the match. Shortly after our marriage, I moved to the United States from India to embark upon my new life as a married woman, but my initial excitement was quickly and abruptly shattered.
The abuse began within the first few hours of moving into my new home. I was subjected to nearly constant physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. My husband exercised control over every aspect and dictated every detail of my life—from when I slept, to what I ate, to what I wore. I was shocked to discover that I had married a violent and possessive man. I was terrified and helpless, without any control over my own life. In one particularly violent moment while we rode in the car, my husband became angered because I took my eyes off him and looked out the window. In retaliation, he grabbed my head and slammed it into the car window, breaking blood vessels in my eye.
I was enmeshed in his abuse like a bee in a malevolent spider’s web. Escape seemed impossible; I came to the United States on an H-4 visa, a type of visa intended for spouses of foreign guest workers in specialty occupations (H-1B holders). I had no way of working to support myself. I was entirely reliant on my husband for my survival and thus endured the abuse for months.
A few months after my arrival in the United States, my husband decided to take me to the United Kingdom for a holiday. When we arrived at Heathrow airport, he was in a particularly cruel mood. He screamed at me and said that he and I should go separate ways on reaching our destination. After going through immigration, I asked him for some money. My husband ordered me to beg and plead before him in public. I refused and tried to use a credit card to change some money. Frustrated that he was losing control, my husband caught me by the shoulder and physically dragged me away while I was speaking to the woman behind the counter. He cornered me and began taunting me as I remained backed up against a wall. Frightened, I placed the credit card in his pocket and decided it was time to escape.
Without money and with only two pairs of clothes in my suitcase, I somehow managed to call my cousin who helped me find the courage to return to the United States to piece together a life independent of my husband. My cousin bought me a ticket back to Maryland where my relatives were living, and thus I escaped my husband and his violence. With the support of my family, I obtained a protective order against my husband and informed the police about the violence to which I had been subjected. My husband was arrested and charged with assault and domestic violence.
With the help of the Tahirih Justice Center and my pro bono attorneys at DLA Piper, Emily Caputo and Roberta Ritvo, I applied for a U visa, a form of immigration relief for victims of crime who assist law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of their perpetrators. On May 2, 2006, I was granted Deferred Action status, allowing me to temporarily remain in the United States. At that time, regulations governing the visa had not yet been issued. Before the regulations were released, many women like me had to renew our status annually, waiting in legal limbo until the provisions were finalized. Fortunately, the regulations were issued in 2007, and Tahirih helped me to reapply. Finally, as of just a few weeks ago, my U visa was approved, making me eligible to become a permanent resident.
The freedom I have found with the help of the Tahirih Justice Center, advocates at DLA Piper, family, and counselors has inspired me. I now volunteer at a local domestic violence center to try to be of support to women who are experiencing what I have endured. In addition to my full time job, I am also pursuing a career as a real estate agent. In my free time, I express my creativity by making jewelry and scarves. Most importantly, I live a life free of abuse and full of security and self-confidence.
Make Another Victory Possible
Our work helping courageous women and girls is only possible with support from individuals like you.
Donate now to ensure that Tahirih can respond to urgent pleas for assistance. With Tahirih’s unique model of leveraging pro bono legal services from outside professionals, we are able to magnify the power of your gift. In 2008 alone, we received $6.5 million worth of donated services, turning every $1 you donated into $5. Your donation has a truly life-changing impact.
After Nine Years of Waiting for Justice, U Visa Approvals Finally Underway
After nine years of waiting, immigrant victims of crime are just now receiving protection under the U visa. These visa grants are a historic development for protecting immigrant victims of violence. The U visa was created in 2000 for victims of crime, but the government failed to issue the visa consistently until now. Throughout the country, approximately 14,000 U visa-eligible immigrants continue to wait for justice. Rati’s approval was the first U visa granted for a Tahirih client, yet other victims continue to face distressing backlogs and delays.
Read More
