{"id":3313,"date":"2016-10-21T19:57:36","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T19:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=3313"},"modified":"2025-06-10T13:04:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T17:04:44","slug":"undocumented-women-domestic-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/safe-blog\/undocumented-women-domestic-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Undocumented Women and Domestic Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 21, 2016<\/em>
By Brian Pacheco<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My left ring fingernail is painted purple right now and so many people have asked me why. I paint it as part of Safe Horizon\u2019s #PutTheNailinIt campaign to signify my vow to end domestic violence and the silence that so often surrounds it. As a proud Puerto-Rican Latino, I look at my nail and think of one story that immediately comes to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having citizenship is a privilege and the harsh realities of immigration, such as deportation, never followed my family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was a student at Middlebury College in Vermont, I was confronted with how immigration was intertwined with the silent epidemic of domestic violence. I remember translating a migrant farmer\u2019s situation to local advocates. She told me that her husband had abused her in the same room her young child was sleeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days later, I learned that she had chosen to stay with her husband. I was troubled, but I learned from others how common it was for the wives and girlfriends of local migrant workers to stay with their abusive partners. They did this for many of the reasons that others of all backgrounds do — for love, for the kids, for financial support, among other things. But for undocumented women who wanted to leave, it was above all their immigration status and the fear of deportation that kept them in an abusive relationship. They had a very rational fear: \u201cIf I go to authorities and report the abuse, what will happen to me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undocumented Women and Domestic Violence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The truth is that being a victim of domestic violence while being undocumented is a real challenge. Last year, I met an undocumented 34-year old woman from Guatemala who was staying with her two daughters at Safe Horizon\u2019s domestic violence shelter Rose House. She spent 13 years with a financially abusive husband who, in an attempt to control her, blocked her path to citizenship. Below, in her own words, as told to Refinery29<\/a>, is her powerful story of surviving domestic violence and how Safe Horizon helped move her from crisis to confidence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“\u2026My being undocumented gave power to my husband. He would constantly remind me of how little resources I had and he would always mock me by saying, \u2018Buy a Social Security card, buy an ID. because you’ll never get one.\u2019 I was aware that I had very limited resources. For even paying the electricity bill you need some form of identification, so I felt powerless.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, I\u2019m not working. My immigration attorney suggested that I just wait. I\u2019ve received a work permit, but I\u2019m waiting for it to arrive from the mail. I\u2019ve been looking, actively searching for employment \u2014 it’s just essential to provide basic needs \u2014 but I\u2019m also keeping in mind what the immigration attorney suggested, to just have patience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been at [Safe Horizon\u2019s Rose House domestic violence shelter] for six months. Before that, I lived in an emergency shelter for three months. When I went to the emergency shelter, I had been living with my husband in a Bronx apartment. My husband is 23 years older than me. I came with him from Guatemala in 2000. He kicked me out of the out of the house and he said that he was gonna go to court and claim full custody of the children. He stated that because he was a U.S. citizen and I am undocumented, he was gonna take the kids and I would not be able to have them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We dated for six years. After six years, we were married for nine years, legally. When we were married, he would always start the process for me to gain citizenship, but never completed it, because he said once I became a resident I would leave him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was a U.S. citizen. He’s always been a U.S. citizen. When we met in Guatemala, he was a different person. Since coming to the United States, he changed. The only time I\u2019ve had to see him over the past year was in court \u2014 we\u2019ve been in a child custody battle for over a year. It just ended three weeks ago. I was granted full custody.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never suffered physical violence \u2014 it was always verbal, emotional, and financial. I never sought help, because I never experienced physical violence, so I felt like I wasn\u2019t experiencing domestic violence. I didn\u2019t work when I was in that relationship \u2014 the only money was coming from him. I always had to ask for money. For instance, if we were out of toilet paper, I would have to go and ask him and say, \u2018There’s no toilet paper.\u2019 So he would give me money, but I would have to provide a receipt to him at the end.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I left, he tried to get me to come back. He contacted my family in Guatemala \u2014 my family didn\u2019t know what had happened, but he called them and told them that we had suffered some issues in the relationship and he spoke to my father. But my dad said he knew I wouldn\u2019t have left if it wasn\u2019t something big.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My kids have helped me so much in this process. I had never seen them run and jump and play like they did when we first arrived at the first shelter we were at. I found a lot of support in my church community. They\u2019ve helped and they\u2019ve helped my three girls.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To undocumented women who are in an abusive situation, I would say to look for help, because there is someone to help. You may feel like you’re alone and you have nowhere to go, but there are people, there are places that will help you. My husband used to tell me not talk to people, because, \u2018Everybody is bad \u2014 you don\u2019t know what their intentions are.’ But now, I have friends at the shelter, at my church, and at my children’s schools. Now, I can go up to another mom and just talk to them. I feel at ease.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Be a part of the solution.<\/em><\/strong> Safe Horizon\u2019s #PutTheNailinIt campaign asks people to support survivors of abuse and take a stand against domestic violence. Have you taken the #PutTheNailinIt vow to end domestic violence? Visit www.putthenailinit.org<\/a> to learn how your vow can help victims become survivors.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safe Horizon believes that all victims of violence or abuse, including domestic violence, should be able to seek justice without fear because of their immigration status. You can help ensure that all victims of violence can seek justice by signing our pledge here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brian Pacheco, director of public relations, recalls one woman’s journey surviving domestic violence as an undocumented immigrant and how she was able to find help at Safe Horizon. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":{"id":3314,"alt_text":"Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations - Undocumented women and domestic violence","caption":"","description":"Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":357,"height":355,"file":"2016\/11\/Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586-150x150.jpg"},"medium":{"file":"Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586-300x298.jpg","width":300,"height":298,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586-300x298.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"post":3313,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Bryan-Pacheco-Director-of-Public-Relations-e1488406097586.jpg"},"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2015],"tags":[437,320,92,340,342],"class_list":["post-3313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safe-blog","tag-brian-pacheco","tag-domestic-abuse","tag-domestic-violence","tag-immigrant-rights","tag-undocumented-immigrants","issue-domestic-violence"],"acf":{"page_header_title":"","page_header_excerpt":"Domestic violence only gets more complicated when you\u2019re undocumented\u2014One survivor\u2019s unforgettable journey.","page_header_image":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/silhouette_hero_image.png","original_url":"","related_initiative_title":"You can help end domestic violence","related_initiative_link":"https:\/\/putthenailinit.com\/take-the-vow\/","related_initiative_link_text":"Take the Vow, Donate, Paint and Share today","featured_posts":[{"ID":3662,"post_author":"13","post_date":"2017-01-27 18:51:37","post_date_gmt":"2017-01-27 18:51:37","post_content":"\n

 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Shani Adess
January 27, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Safe Horizon, we believe that a person\u2019s legal status should not be a barrier to one\u2019s ability to seek help, obtain justice, and live a life free from violence. Safe Horizon\u2019s Immigration Law Project (ILP) is staffed with trained and experienced attorneys that advocate on behalf of immigrant survivors of crime, torture, or abuse in New York City. The statements and conversations around immigration during the recent presidential election have sparked numerous concerns, which I will address in the following blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Changes Has ILP Seen Since the 2016 Presidential Election?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have received many calls from clients and others in our community who have expressed increased concern and anxiety. It is very important that anyone with questions speaks with a qualified legal representative. Talking to an immigration law expert can help one to better understand their rights, evaluate their and their families\u2019 eligibility for permanent immigration relief, and create a safety plan to protect them and their children should any issues regarding their immigration status arise in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also important to remember that we do not yet know if any changes will take place after January 20th<\/sup>. Nevertheless, we are working hard to ensure that we are able to quickly respond to any changes that might occur, and will continue to promote and protect the rights of undocumented immigrants in our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should Undocumented Immigrant Victims of Crime Still Feel Comfortable Seeking Help If They Need It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For victims of violence or abuse, nothing is more important than safety. Every individual has a right to live free from harm, abuse, and violence. Local, city, and state agencies in New York firmly support all peoples\u2019 rights to have access to services to ensure their safety. This includes access to; emergency shelter, emergency health care, courts to seek orders of protection, law enforcement and the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2003 New York has been a \u201cSanctuary City.\u201d This means that city agencies are not authorized to report people who seek assistance to immigration authorities. These agencies include New York Police Department (NYPD), Administration for Children\u2019s Services (ACS), Human Resources Administration (HRA), and Family Courts. In recent weeks, local and city agencies, our Mayor, and our Governor, have all reasserted their commitment to protecting undocumented immigrants in our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are afraid and need help call one of our three 24-hour hotlines that operate seven days a week, 365 days a year. Advocates are standing by right now to help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n