On Wednesday, October 25, the Texas Council on Family Violence voiced concerns on behalf of survivors and organizations that serve them at a Texas Capitol press conference regarding several bills on immigration enforcement.
Specifically, we are concerned with proposal HB 4, which creates a new criminal offense for unlawful entry into the U.S. and authorizes a dangerously broad set of peace officers to detain, transport and “remove” these individuals, even if they are seeking assistance from life-threatening violence.
Based on TCFV’s 45 years of survivor advocacy, research and collaboration with programs across the state, we strongly anticipate such an initiative will have an exponentially chilling effect on immigrant victims seeking safety and care in response to violence or reporting crimes. Even worse, these policies can embolden abusive perpetrators and threaten both victim safety and that of the broader public.
Having collaborated with the Texas Legislature since 1978, we are disheartened by the direction of this discussion, particularly the opposition around several bill amendments that would create exceptions for women, children and victims of sexual and domestic violence seeking support at Family Violence Centers or Rape Crisis Centers. We are appalled by some of the inaccurate and callous statements some members made on the House Floor about these centers and survivors, including flagrant victim blaming – an ill-informed perspective that we have worked decades to educate the Legislature and public is not supported by facts or research.
We applaud those legislators who courageously shared their own experiences and boldly championed survivor safety during Wednesday’s difficult debate. Please continue to speak up and know TCFV is here to offer support and facts. We ask all law makers to build a relationship with their local Family Violence Centers and ensure understanding of how these support survivors by taking a tour, learning about their services and who uses them, and listening to the challenges and impacts of laws at a community level. TCFV stands ready to facilitate these connections, and we are devoted to continuing our work with the Texas Legislature to build a safer Texas.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Gloria Aguilera Terry, CEO of the Texas Council on Family Violence. The column appears in The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service with the permission of the author. Aguilera Terry can be reached by email via: sstone@sunwestpr.com.
