Statement of the Tahirih Justice Center
Opposing the ``No Sanctuary for Criminals Act'' (H.R. 3003) and
``Kate's Law'' (H.R. 3004)
The Tahirih Justice Center (``Tahirih'') respectfully
submits this statement to the United States House of
Representatives as it considers ``The No Sanctuary for
Criminals Act'' (H.R. 3003; ``The Act'') and ``Kate's Law''
(H.R. 3004). The House Rules Committee is set to review these
bills today, followed by the full House in the near future. Tahirih is a national, nonpartisan organization that has
assisted over 20,000 immigrant survivors of gender-based
violence over the past 20 years. Our clients include women
and girls who have endured horrific abuses such as rape and
human trafficking and are in dire need of humanitarian
relief. Tahirih urges members of Congress to oppose H.R. 3003 and
3004: By further entangling federal and local immigration
enforcement, H.R. 3003 will not only put survivors of human
trafficking and domestic violence at greater risk of criminal
harm, but will embolden violent criminals who pose a danger
to us all. H.R. 3004 will unjustly punish asylum seekers who
sought safe haven in the U.S., but were improperly denied
access to the asylum process the first time around. H.R. 3003: The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act: The Act
seeks to erase the distinction between federal and local
immigration enforcement. Such measures erode immigrant
community trust of police, who rely on victims and witnesses
to help get dangerous criminals off the streets. When
immigrants know they can call 911 without fear of
deportation, it is perpetrators--not victims or their
children--that are deterred and punished. Abusers and
traffickers deliberately manipulate and isolate victims to
limit their access to information about their legal rights. Despite longstanding protections under the Violence Against
Women Act, even victims who hold lawful immigration status
succumb to intimidation, and remain afraid of deportation if
they come forward. For some survivors, deportation means
sentencing a US citizen child to the custody of a violent
abuser. Following the recent passage of a state law to
increase local immigration enforcement, a client aptly noted,
``This is exactly what [my abuser] has been waiting for.'' We
are all less safe when we make it easier for perpetrators to
commit crimes. The Act will also increase prolonged detention of
survivors, resulting in further traumatization, separation
from young children, and limited access to legal assistance
and due process. The Act also punishes localities that refuse
to comply, by revoking critical funding for core programs
that address gun violence, gang violence, and other criminal
activity. When local agencies must ``choose'' between
continuing these programs and compromising community trust,
it is the public that pays the steepest price. H.R. 3004: Kate's Law: Tahirih and other advocates
routinely assist clients whose initial requests for asylum at
the border are met with hostility, intimidation, and
coercion. These individuals are unlawfully denied access to
the asylum process by U.S. officials. With their lives in
grave danger, women and girls in this situation have no
choice but to request safe haven in the U.S. a second or even
third time. They are not asking to appeal denial of their
claims; rather, they are merely seeking a threshold
determination that they may apply for asylum or related
protections.
Keywords matched
immigration immigrants asylum seekers asylum process immigrant deportation