Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence
Immigrant women in the United States are especially vulnerable to domestic and intimate partner violence because they may not speak English, are isolated from support networks of family and friends, and are unfamiliar with their rights in this country. Abusers may threaten that if they seek refuge, they will be deported and, once returned to their native countries, will be shunned. In fact, to make these threats real and hold being “illegal” over a victim’s head, nearly three quarters of abusive partners never file immigration papers for their abused spouses, and those who do usually do so several years late.1 The Violence Against Women Act protects immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence in the United States by removing the threat of automatic deportation. Only 45 countries worldwide have any legislation protecting women against domestic violence.2
Caroline’s Story
Caroline*, a native of Uganda, and her husband, Paul*, a military officer in the US army, were newlyweds when Paul was transferred to a different base. They had met through mutual friends and had a romantic courtship before getting married. Once the couple moved and started living together, however, everything changed. Paul became cruel. He repeatedly raped Caroline. He beat her daily, often using spatulas, extension cords, and remote controls. He yelled at her without provocation. He locked doors to trap her in rooms with him so she could not escape.
Caroline first called the police after a particularly painful incident. Paul was arrested and released in 72 hours. The violence continued even after Caroline became pregnant—Paul would choke her, pull her hair, and beat Caroline until she would fall on the floor begging for forgiveness. Caroline was hospitalized for two months of her pregnancy. Paul was arrested a second time. Following the arrest, her husband’s superior officer called Caroline to his office, where he explained that she risked getting deported and losing custody of her son if she continued to call the police.
Caroline felt trapped. She sold all her belongings and left the base with her son, returning to her family, ashamed and desperate. A friend referred her to Tahirih. Tahirih filed a VAWA self-petition for Caroline, which was approved on April 5, 2006. Caroline now lives safely with her son in northern Virginia. She is studying to be a nurse because she enjoys working to make people feel comfortable and cared for.
1Mary Ann Dutton et al., “Characteristics of Help-Seeking Behaviors, Resources and Service Needs of Battered Immigrant Latinas,” 7 Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy (2000): 245, 259.
2Elisabeth Rehn and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Women, War, Peace: The Independent Experts’ Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women’s Role in Peace-Building, UNIFEM, (2002): 15.
*Client’s name has been changed to protect privacy
