Thread: Raising abuse awareness for Latinos

$300,000??? Latinos is one thing; illegal immigrants is another. In their case help them out of an abusive situation then send them home!

Raising abuse awareness for Latinos
Advocates say many crimes go unreported
With the help of a $300,000 U.S. Justice Department grant, advocates have spent the past two years trying to heighten awareness of domestic violence within Latino communities and encourage immigrants to report crimes.

They seem to have made progress: Police reports of domestic violence among Latino women increased about 9 percent in the past year, from 526 reports in 2006 to 575 in 2007.

But advocates say they still hear of many incidents that never get reported.

The sheriff's office partnership with federal immigration officials could be particularly harmful for illegal immigrant victims of domestic violence because people "who are naturally abusive and who hold power and know how the system works" can easily take advantage of it, said Rona Karacaova, of Legal Aid of North Carolina. Karacaova said her clients often describe how their abusers spoke better English and threatened to report them to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they didn't keep quiet.

Not only do the victims not want to be deported, but they don't necessarily want their abuser to suffer the same fate.

"They want him to be held responsible but not deported because once he gets deported, he can't support the children," Karacaova said.

It's also harder for illegal immigrants to leave abusers.

They can stay at a shelter for up to 30 days. After that, they're on their own to find housing or a job -- not easy without papers.

"Even in Spanish, many of them only have second- or third-grade education," said Rosa Rivero, a counselor at the Shelter for Battered Women.

"You want to talk about being totally at the hands of the abusers? Really, they're prisoners in their own home." -- Deborah Hirsch

http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/558738.html

Great! Looks like I see a whole new class of "victims" who will now qualify for a U Visa, who have no desire to leave their abusers.

And the insanity continues!

"They want him to be held responsible but not deported because once he gets deported, he can't support the children," Karacaova said.

Welcome to America sweetheart......get a job and support them yourself.....how do you think so many of the rest of us has done it. There's no guarentee once they serve their punishment they support them even when they're citizens. They get a record then and have a harder time getting employment.......sure don't need people abusing what gains we've made on this avenue either just so you can get a visa.

Originally Posted by crazybird

"They want him to be held responsible but not deported because once he gets deported, he can't support the children," Karacaova said.

Welcome to America sweetheart......get a job and support them yourself.....how do you think so many of the rest of us has done it. There's no guarentee once they serve their punishment they support them even when they're citizens. They get a record then and have a harder time getting employment.......sure don't need people abusing what gains we've made on this avenue either just so you can get a visa.

Yea, and how's that support he's provided going thus far? What he buys the children milk and then he beats you like a pinata.