WUNRN
USA - IMMIGRATION LAW - GENDERED
PATHS TO LEGAL STATUS - CASE STUDY
Direct Link to Full 11-Page Report:
This
special report by Cecilia Menjívar and Olivia Salcido for the Immigration
Policy Center looks at immigration law, which on its face appears gender
neutral, but actually contains gender biases that create barriers for many
women trying to gain legalization within the current immigration system. These
inequalities appear across immigration law, and even as new laws are put into
place, stereotypes and assumptions remain unchallenged. Ironically, even laws
written specifically to protect women, such as the Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA), continue to play out in practice along gender-biased lines.
As immigration reform is being debated, our findings point to the need that any pathway to citizenship and integration be open, affordable, and accessible to all immigrant women, including those whose work is unpaid, and those employed in the informal economy. In order for this to occur, there should be more and stronger open channels for women to access the legalization process without having to rely on a principal visa holder to petition on their behalf.
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