Immigrant domestic violence an issue while reform efforts linger

http://www.fox21online.com/news/immigrant-domestic-violence-issue-while-reform-e...

MADISON (WPR) Immigration reform is on the back burner, but the problems facing both documented and undocumented immigrants in the country aren't going away. An immigration attorney in Madison says one of the most serious problems is getting the least attention from policy makers.

That problem is female immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. Ramona Natera is seeing a lot of them at the Madison office of United Migrant Opportunity Services. She estimates 70-percent of her clients are domestic violence victims.

There are no solid figures on how many women immigrants are caught between the national immigration laws and an abusive husband or boyfriend. But a recent study in New York City found that more than half the domestic violence homicide victims there are foreign born. Natera says she has few legal remedies to offer such women because often the abuser --- whether he is a legal immigrant or not -- is the sole bread winner for the family. Natera wants to protect clients who are domestic violence victims, but at the same time knows that if the abuser is deported, support for the family suffers.

One approach is to apply for what's known as a “U Visa” under the Violence Against Women Act. But that requires the woman to testify against her abuser and send him to prison or out of the country.

Natera says that fear often prevents women from calling police when they are beaten. Natera says until immigration reform climbs back to the top of the national agenda, attorneys like her must look for piecemeal approaches to protect these women. -- Information from Wisconsin Public Radio

Topics: Ending Domestic Violence, Immigrants