(Fact Sheet from Futures Without Violence)
Like all women, immigrant women are at high risk for domestic violence, but due to their immigration
status, they may face a more difficult time escaping abuse. Immigrant women often feel trapped in
abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of
financial resources. Despite recent federal legislation that has opened new and safe routes to
immigration status for some immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence, abuse is still a
significant problem for immigrant women, as it is for all women in the United States.
- A recent study in New York City found that 51 percent of intimate partner homicide
victims were foreign-born, while 45 percent were born in the United States. - Forty-eight percent of Latinas in one study reported that their partner’s violence against
them had increased since they immigrated to the United States. - A survey of immigrant Korean women found that 60 percent had been battered by their
husbands. - Married immigrant women experience higher levels of physical and sexual abuse than
unmarried immigrant women, 59.5 percent compared to 49.8 percent, respectively. - Abusers often use their partners’ immigration status as a tool of control. In such
situations, it is common for a batterer to exert control over his partner’s immigration status
in order to force her to remain in the relationship. - Immigrant women often suffer higher rates of battering than U.S. citizens because they may
come from cultures that accept domestic violence or because they have less access to legal
and social services than U.S. citizens. Additionally, immigrant batterers and victims may
believe that the penalties and protections of the U.S. legal system do not apply to them. - Battered immigrant women who attempt to flee may not have access to bilingual shelters,
financial assistance, or food. It is also unlikely that they will have the assistance of a
certified interpreter in court, when reporting complaints to the police or a 911 operator, or
even in acquiring information about their rights and the legal system.