October 28: Protecting Immigrant Women

The Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act became law on this date in 2000. The bill, introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), enables immigrant women who are dealing with domestic abuse to leave their husbands without facing a change in their or their children’s visa status. Under the law, undocumented women who entered the U.S. illegally in order to escape abuse, and those who overstayed visas and subsequently found themselves in abusive relationships, are protected, able to adjust their status to permanent residency without leaving the country. Schakowsky, who has represented Chicago’s northern suburbs in the House since 1999, is one of the most progressive members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and co-chairs the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. She was a vociferous opponent of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and recently voted “No” on the Columbia, Panama, and South Korea free trade agreements in the name of protecting American jobs.

“As a first-generation Jewish American, I have witnessed firsthand Jewish immigrants who have come to this nation in order to create a better life for themselves, their families, and future generations.” --Jan Schakowsky