We’ve all been hearing about the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act recently – introduced by House Republicans Eric Cantor and Sandy Adams, it will be voted on in Congress very soon, most likely this Wednesday. The name of the act is misleading, and many have been calling it the “fake VAWA” to draw attention to its incredibly harmful elimination of rights.
One of the necessary parts of the original VAWA that will be discarded under the Cantor-Adams VAWA is a confidentiality clause that allows victims of abuse, including undocumented immigrants, to remain confidential. Under the new VAWA, U.S. authorities must notify abusers if their partner is an immigrant seeking protection under VAWA. Not only will this put women at danger of further abuse from their partners, it puts them at risk of deportation by the U.S. government. Under this new law, victims will be much less likely to come forward if they are being abused.
Unfortunately, this horrifying VAWA is expected to pass. Tell Congress that you want the “real” Senate-passed bipartisan VAWA before they vote on Wednesday. The Cantor-Adams VAWA (HR 4970) places immigrants in a position of increased vulnerability to abuse.
Let’s inundate Congress over the next two days with tweets, emails, and phone calls. Use twitter hashtag #realVAWA to spread the word before it’s too late and stand up for all immigrants and victims of domestic violence.