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Immigration
Providing culturally sensitive assistance to immigrant victims of domestic violence requires an understanding of the unique challenges they encounter as they attempt to secure safety for themselves and their children. A significant barrier that makes it difficult for battered immigrants to access services is due to the language barrier. Oftentimes the abuser will not allow an immigrant woman to learn English so as to keep her isolated from family, friends and the community. The isolation is further compounded for a battered immigrant because she is not able to communicate her needs to service providers or law enforcement if those service providers do not have bilingual/bicultural staff to assist.
Another complication is that battered immigrants may be reluctant to report a crime because they do not trust law enforcement. They are afraid to ask for help because their abuser has told them that she will be reported to immigration authorities, such as ICE (formerly known as INS). Consequently, the abuser exerts control over her life decisions and threatens to deny or withhold her application for legal immigration status.
These problems are just a few of the multiple barriers that stand in the way of battered immigrants seeking and obtaining safety.