On June 11th, Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked protections for survivors of domestic violence and/or gang violence seeking asylum in the United States. The implications of this decision has direct impact to immigrant rights organizations throughout the United States. AG Sessions’ decision demonstrates this administration’s regressive values and sets us back to a time when domestic violence was not considered an injustice worthy of attention. By denying asylum to women seeking protection from domestic violence or any form of persecution, Sessions impacts the futures of thousands of survivors seeking refuge and provides less protection to an already vulnerable population.
On Wednesday, June 27, 2018, New York’s first South Asian American women’s organization, Sakhi for South Asian Women (Sakhi), rallied in support of survivors seeking asylum and immigrant rights at Union Square. Co-leading the rally with Sakhi include: WomanKind, VIP Mujeres, Sauti Yetu, and Kiran, Inc.
This administration must be held accountable despite its continuous abuse of power.
Sakhi will continue to advocate for all immigrants and survivors of violence. As a follow up to the rally, Sakhi is:
1) co-sponsoring a live Twitter chat with Law at the Margins and VIP Mujeres on Domestic Violence, Asylum & the Unraveling of Women’s Rights this July 24th, 12:00 – 2:00 PM.
Follow #DVASYLUM @SakhiNYC, @LawatMargins and @VIPMujeres to participate in the discussion.
2) organizing a panel discussion on Gender-Based Violence, Trauma, and Today’s Immigration Policies on July 25, 2018 from 5:00-6:30 PM at White & Case in collaboration with VIP Mujeres and WomanKind
What is a Twitter chat and how do I participate?
A Twitter chat is a public Twitter conversation around one unique hashtag. This hashtag (#DVASYLUM) allows you to follow the discussion and participate in it.
Ask questions (label your questions as Q1, Q2, etc., to make it easy for your chat participants to answer and encourage discussion). You can direct your question to an organization by including the @SakhiNYC, @VIPMujeres, or @LawatMargins handles.
A summary of the chat questions and discussion will be shared afterwards.