Fewer female immigrants in US are reporting abuse for fear of being deported
An increasing number of undocumented female immigrants in the US are said to be too scared to report crimes made against them.
Monday 29 April 2019 07:51, UK
Police in a number of US cities say women are not reporting sexual assault and domestic violence since Donald Trump became president because they fear attracting the attention of immigration authorities.
Deportations of people in the country illegally have jumped sharply since President Trump took office and police and campaigners say women would rather suffer in silence than risk themselves or their children being detained and thrown out of the country.
Although police in the US are not allowed to ask about immigration status, the growing anxiety among the migrant community means many people do not trust law enforcement.
In areas with high migrant populations, like the farming communities north of Los Angeles, the increase in raids by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has put people on edge.
Maria told Sky News she had suffered domestic violence but was too scared to go to the police because she is undocumented, in the country illegally. She fears she would be deported, leaving her two children in the US alone.
"This is the worst experience of my life. I feel alone," she said.
But Maria is far from alone. Police in cities with large Hispanic populations say they have seen a fall in reports of domestic violence and sexual assault from those communities.
In Houston in Texas, where the population is 44% Hispanic and growing, there was a 16% fall in domestic violence reports.
In Los Angeles, the former chief of police said fear of the federal government had led to a drop in domestic violence reports of 10% and of sexual assault by 25% in a year.
But a group of women in California are fighting back in choosing not only to report domestic violence but also speak publicly to encourage other victims.
Cristina finally went to the police after a number of incidents at home. She told Sky News: "I was afraid to go to jail because I know there was a lot of deportations happening, but I had to look at my situation and I decided to go forward. I didn't want to be a victim, I know I didn't do anything wrong.
"I feel I am here to motivate other women to inform them about their rights and they should not be afraid of immigration. I want them to know there is a better way to live, a better and healthier life, a lot of people that are living in this situation think they have to learn to live like this but no they can live better with not being hit and not being hurt."
Campaigners say victims have increasingly joined together to offer support to others coming forward. But they say they have come to expect hostility to those in the country illegally, whatever they have suffered.
Barbara Kappos, executive director of East Los Angeles Women's Centre, said: "This is not about an undocumented or illegal person, this is about a human being. They came to this country for a better life and sometimes it's not a better life, it's a more complicated life, a more challenging life. They have needs, just like anyone else."