100 Group Opposition Letter

May 4, 2012 U.S. House of Representatives Dear Rep.
Moore, As a diverse coalition of immigration, faith, labor, human rights and community organizations serving and advocating on behalf of immigrant victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking we write to express our grave concerns and opposition to H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 (VAWA) (H.R. 4970, Adams, R-FL), as introduced, as it severely undermines protections available to vulnerable immigrant victims of violence and places victims at further risk of harm. Enacted in 1994 and reauthorized twice in 2000 and 2005, VAWA has a long history of uniting lawmakers with the common purpose of protecting survivors of domestic violence. When VAWA was first conceived, Congress recognized that the noncitizen status of battered immigrants can make them particularly vulnerable to crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The abusers of undocumented immigrants often exploit the victims immigration status, leaving the victim afraid to seek services or report the abuse to law enforcement and making them fearful of assisting with the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. Congress sought to address this through the enactment of provisions in VAWA that enhance safety for victims and their children and provide an important tool for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes. H.R. 4970 not only leaves out important improvements to VAWAs protections for immigrant survivors that were included in S. 1925, the widely supported bipartisan Senate bill, but it also seeks amendments that dramatically undercut existing protections for immigrant survivors in VAWA. The changes proposed in H.R. 4970 to VAWAs current protections for immigrant survivors create obstacles for immigrant victims seeking to report crimes, increase the danger to immigrant victims by eliminating important confidentiality protections, undermine current anti-fraud protections, and roll back years of progress and commitment on the part of Congress to protect vulnerable immigrant victims. On Tuesday, when H.R. 4970 is marked up in the Judiciary Committee, we urge you to ensure VAWA is kept free of all other unrelated immigration measures. VAWA should not be used as a vehicle to pass immigration policy measures that are not germane to VAWAs purpose. VAWA, including the immigration provisions, has always been focused on protecting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking; this should not change. Each year the lives of hundreds of women, children, and others who fall victim to domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking are made safer by important programs the law created. On their behalf and on behalf of all others who will depend upon VAWA in years to come, we ask for your vigilance in preserving VAWAs central purpose.
Because of the serious concerns outlined above, we call on all members of Congress to oppose H.R. 4970. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mony Ruiz-Velasco, National Immigrant Justice Center at 312.660.1360 or via email at [email protected] or Grace Huang, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence at 206.389.2515 or via email at [email protected]. Sincerely, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. Advocates for Human Rights African Services Committee Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center American Federation of Labor American Immigration Lawyers Association Americans for Immigrant Justice America's Voice Education Fund Artemis Justice Center ASHA for Women Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) Boston University Civil Litigation Program Break the Cycle Campaign for Community Change Canal Alliance Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities Casa Esperanza Central American Resource Center Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault Community Action and Human Services Department Community Immigration Law Center Connecticut Legal Services Inc. Domestic Violence in the African American Community DREAM Activist Virginia Education Not Deportation Project of the United We Dream Network El Rescate Legal Services, Inc. Empire Justice Center Enlace Comunitario FaithAction International House Families for Freedom Florida Coastal Immigrant Rights Clinic Fuerza Latina Futures Without Violence Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights Human Rights Initiative of North Texas Human Rights Watch Immigrant Defense Project
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota Immigration Equality inMotion, Inc. InterCultural Advocacy Institute International Institute of the Bay Area Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic University of Florida,Levin College of Law Just Neighbors Justice For Our Neighbors-Southeastern Michigan Latin American Coalition LatinoJustice PRLDEF Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women Mountain Crisis Services Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Center for Transgender Equality National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs National Council of Jewish Women National Council of La Raza National Employment Law Project National Immigrant Justice Center National Immigration Forum National Immigration Law Center National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health National Network to End Domestic Violence National Organization for Women Foundation National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and the Women of Color Network. New Sanctuary Coalition of NYC NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project Public Justice Center Rainbow Services, Ltd. Refugio del Rio Grande Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network Rural Women's Health Project Service Employees International Union South Asian Americans Leading Together Tahirih Justice Center Tapestri Inc The Bridge to Hope
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center The Kansas/Missouri Dream Alliance TN Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic United Migrant Opportunity Services VIDA Legal Assistance, Inc. Virginia Organizing Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance Voces Unidas for Justice Voices of Men Washington Immigration Defense Group Washington State Coalition Against Women's Refugee Commission Worker Justice Center of New York

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May 4, 2012 U.S. House of Representatives Dear Rep.

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