Espaillat, Jayapal, Schakowsky, Panetta Introduce the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (WISE) Act

WASHINGTON, DC --U.S. Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) introduced the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (WISE) Act to protect immigrant survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and gender-based violence. The bill would ensure that immigrants have access to protections intended by the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), and other federal and state laws. The bill would also move to ensure survivors pursuing relief are not detained or deported before their applications are fully adjudicated.

"Immigrant victims of domestic violence, trafficking, and gender-based assaults deserve protections regardless of their immigration status,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “Immigrant survivors are less likely to report a crime in fear of detention and deportation, which makes them even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. These crimes are dehumanizing and reprehensible. We must do what it takes to ensure protections are in place and victims feel empowered to seek assistance. I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort to reaffirm our commitment to victims of violence when they need our help the most.”

“Protections for survivors of crime goes beyond immigration—this is about the safety and well-being of communities and families across the country. Survivors of gender-based violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and crime must be able to come forward without fear to seek safety and we must provide them with the necessary support to leave abusive situations. With this bill, we are reiterating our commitment to protect immigrant survivors, to empower them to seek help, and to ensure their safety is not tied up with their ability to stay in this country,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.

“Immigrant women faced with domestic violence make up one of the most vulnerable populations in this country. These women should not feel forced to stay in violent, life-threatening intimate partner relationships because of their tenuous immigration status,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. "I am proud to co-lead the WISE Act to help ensure that all victims of domestic violence, regardless of immigration status, have access to the public resources and support they need to escape abuse.”

Immigrant women and children are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence, and immigrant women face intimate partner violence at three times the national average. And while domestic violence remains a widely underreported issue, immigrant survivors of crime are less likely to report a crime committed against them due to fear of detention and deportation.

The WISE Act would strengthen protections for immigrant survivors by:

* Eliminating arbitrary caps on the U Visa and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).

* Expanding qualifying crimes for the U Visa to include hate crimes, child abuse, and elder abuse as well as grant protections for abused children, stepchildren, spouses, and parents of immigrant survivors.

* Granting work authorization to survivors while their applications are pending.
Prohibiting detention and deportation of immigrant survivors while their cases are pending.

* Limiting the use or disclosure of information pertaining to a pending immigrant survivor’s VAWA, T, U, or SIJ applications.

* Limiting immigration enforcement at certain protected locations including any domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, supervised visitation center, family justice center, or victim services providers, among other locations.

* Ensuring survivors have the support necessary to thrive and reduce reliance on abusers by providing access to certain assistance, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and Medicaid.

Non-profit and advocacy organizations issued the following statements of support following the introduction of the WISE Act:

“API-GBV applauds Representative Jayapal, Schakowsky, and Espaillat for their leadership in making sure that the needs of immigrant survivors of domestic violence are lifted up during this Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The WISE bill takes important steps in ensuring that survivors in our communities can access vital protections in the Violence Against Women Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act as intended by Congress, making our communities safer,” said Grace Huang, Policy Director at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence and Co-chair of the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors.

“Immigrant child survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other harms urgently need the WISE Act’s protections. Among its key reforms, this legislation would eliminate the needless Special Immigrant Juvenile visa cap, delivering safety and stability to abused, abandoned, and neglected children in the United States who would otherwise languish in legal limbo. KIND commends Representatives Jayapal, Schakowsky, and Espaillat for standing up for these vulnerable youth,” said Wendy Young, President of KIND.

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