Schakowsky Introduces Battered Immigrant Women Bill
From the National NOW Legislative Updates Homepage available at:
http://www.now.org/issues/legislat/05-10-00.html

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced a bill that would provide greater protection and assistance to immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. This legislation, the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act, would go a long way toward extending the services provided under VAWA to this underserved group and correcting the mistreatment of battered immigrant women that has been permitted under recent immigration "reform" legislation. There are three main purposes of this legislation, H.R. 3083. First, the act aims to promote criminal prosecutions of anyone who commit acts of battery or extreme cruelty against immigrant women and children. Secondly, the bill seeks to offer protection against domestic violence occurring in family and intimate relationships that are covered in State and tribal protection orders, domestic violence and family law statutes. Thirdly, the legislation would work to correct the erosions of VAWA immigration protections that occurred as a result of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as well as the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.

ACTION NEEDED:

Please contact your Congressional Representative and ask him or her to become a sponsor of H.R. 3083, and urge Congressional leadership to make this legislation a priority.

• H.R. 3083, The Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act, should be incorporated into the Violence Against Women Reauthorization bill (H.R. 1248) now being considered in the House Judiciary Committee. Please advocate for its inclusion.
• It should be emphasized that no woman, regardless of her immigrant status, deserves to be subjected to battering with no protection from the government. Support of H.R.  3083 will underscore that protection.
• Abuse of women violates the basic human right that all people, regardless of their national origin or citizenship status, deserve, and that the U.S. government must do everything in its power to protect the rights of all people.