Denying asylum for gender-based violence carries dangerous message for women

Recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the United States Department of Justice would no longer recognize domestic violence as a legitimate basis for asylum in the United States, prompting advocates for victims of gender-based violence to sound the alarm. The reasons for concern are not only for what this ruling means for the tenuous and charged immigration debate, but also what could be implied regarding our collective society’s position on violence against women if we choose to look away.

At Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, we believe that every woman and child deserves to live free from abuse and violence, no matter their ethnicity, religion or socioeconomic status. Genesis provides life-saving services at no cost to 2,500 women and children fleeing abuse every year. We pay close attention to any social temperature changes that might indicate a shift in thinking.

Congress has recognized that gender-based violence is a scourge on our society, and that women who are victimized and brutalized deserve an opportunity to seek safety and justice supported by law. In the simplest terms, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protects women who have been abused by their husbands who are United States citizens or legal permanent residents. The U-Visa provides relief for women living in the United States who are victims of violent crime, which includes domestic violence and sexual assault and the T-Visa applies to women who have been trafficked into the United States. Sessions’ decision does not affect women who are seeking these avenues of relief, and he has made no public announcements about the future of these protections… yet.

As conversations swirl and sweeping decisions are made, we cannot be complacent or ill-informed. We must remain alert and engaged to ensure that we do not find ourselves sliding down the slippery slope of denying protection to victims of gender-based violence. For the last 40 years, advocates have worked tirelessly in this country to shift the dangerous perception that a woman who gets a black eye from her husband for not having dinner on the table at the right time or for “mouthing off” to the man of the house didn’t deserve what she got. More recently, we have identified the lethal link between mass shootings and the shooters’ history of intimate partner violence.

Every decision that restricts, redefines or reduces support for women experiencing violence has the potential to chip away at the armor of protection we have been building around women in our community, society and across the world.

No matter where you land on the immigration debate, it is imperative that we not get distracted or confused about the undercurrents that sway public opinion on violence against women and children. Here’s how you can make a difference:

Educate yourself. Organizations like Tahirih can inform your understanding of immigration laws. The Texas Council on Family Violence notes upcoming legislative sessions and rulings that affect victims of domestic violence.

Contact your elected officials to let your voice be heard. Visit www.callmycongress.com for your representative’s and senator’s phone number.

Don’t look away

Jan Langbein is CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support in Dallas.

This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 1:37 PM.