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Abstract: 

Immigrant survivors of domestic violence may face new obstacles to obtaining legal status under changes to federal policies governing Violence Against Women Act self-petitions. Revised requirements impose stricter standards for proving cohabitation and a good-faith marriage and narrow the definitions of “battery” and “extreme cruelty.” Advocates warn that these requirements may disadvantage the very survivors VAWA was designed to protect: abusers often control finances, housing records, and other documentation, while threats of deportation can become another instrument of coercive control. This article examines the government’s fraud-prevention rationale, advocates’ concerns about the changes, and how heightened evidentiary requirements may discourage immigrant survivors from seeking protection and reporting abuse.

Keywords: Immigrant Survivors; Violence Against Women Act; VAWA Self-Petitions; Immigration Status; Coercive Control; Domestic Violence

Affiliations:  1: Stateline.