LA Times: Violence Against Women Act becomes latest immigration battleground
Republicans in Congress are proposing to strip away existing protections for immigrants who are the victims of domestic violence.
The Republican-drafted version of the Violence Against Women Act, originally passed in 1994, is scheduled to be debated on the House floor on Wednesday and could be brought to a vote this week.
Currently the law offers anonymity to victims of domestic abuse who are applying for residency visas so that their applications cannot be sabotaged by their abusers. To encourage victims of domestic abuse crimes to remain in the U.S. and cooperate with police, witnesses are able to apply for a special residency visa and eventually apply for permanent residency.
Both of these safeguards have been removed from the House bill…
The White House has threatened to veto the bill if it passes without restoring existing protections. The Senate version of the bill, which preserves and expands the existing protections, passed last month with bipartisan support, 68 to 31.
