Abused, Abandoned, or Neglected: Legal Options for Recent Immigrant Women and Girls

dc.contributor.authorFitzpatrick, M., & Orloff, L. E.
dc.date.accessioned2016-10-03T15:06:39Z
dc.date.available2016-10-03T15:06:39Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractSpecial Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ) was created to benefit and protect children who had been abused, abandoned, or neglected, and ensures their continued safety in the U.S.. This article provides an overview of immigration relief available to help immigrant women and girls living in the U.S. and discusses how the process of applying for SIJ, in particular, requires involvement of both state family courts and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This article discusses the legislative history and the social science research that supported both the creation of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ) and the expansion of SIJ protections through the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victim’s Protection and Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA). Women and children seeking safe haven in the U.S. are often fleeing severe forms of violence that they have suffered in their home countries. It is important for government agencies, attorneys, advocates, and law enforcement to be aware of and understand the rates of victimization among recent immigrants and be knowledgeable about immigrant victims’ legal rights in the U.S.. Advocates and attorneys play a crucial role in informing abused immigrants about their legal rights, supporting them through the legal process, safety planning, and encouraging those at greatest risk to turn to the justice system for help. A significant proportion of the immigrant and undocumented crime victims who, with support from advocates and attorneys, file immigration cases and seek protection orders embark on a path in which they develop trust of the justice system that greatly increases their willingness to call police and turn to the justice system for help. (from Author Introduction)en_US
dc.identifier.citationFitzpatrick, M., & Orloff, L. E. (2016). Abused, Abandoned, or Neglected: Legal Options for Recent Immigrant Women and Girls. Pennsylvania State Journal of Law & International Affairs, 4, 614-814.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://elibrary.law.psu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=jlia
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/2966
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherPennsylvania State Journal of Law & International Affairsen_US
dc.subjectchild abuseen_US
dc.subjectneglecten_US
dc.subjectphysical abuseen_US
dc.subjectsexual abuseen_US
dc.subjectlawen_US
dc.subjectpolicyen_US
dc.titleAbused, Abandoned, or Neglected: Legal Options for Recent Immigrant Women and Girlsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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