Undocumented and unprotected immigrant women and children in harm's way

Abstract

The status of undocumented immigrants and current immigration legislative proposals are the subject of heated debate with both political and economic implications often overshadowing the needs of undocumented victims of abuse. This article will focus on the plight of undocumented women and children who are victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse perpetrated by their spouse or parent who is a citizen of the United States (by birth or naturalization). We will review the magnitude of this problem, provide a brief history of current legal protections and the potential for the U-Visa as a tool for obtaining citizenship for these victims, note the particular barriers to reporting abuse and seeking help for undocumented battered women, and suggest both nursing practices and broader advocacy to aid on overcoming the significant obstacles to accessing services faced by this vulnerable population. Although men are also victims of similar abuses and circumstance, this article will focus on victimized women and children.