FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Taylor Woolfork (916) 319-2048
Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio Legislation to Protect Undocumented Survivors of Domestic Violence Passes Committee
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, AB 1073 the Undocumented Survivor Safety Act, authored by Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a 8 to 0 vote. AB 1073 authorizes the Attorney General to enter into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to designate Domestic Violence Shelters as sensitive locations in the State of California.
“The Federal Government has failed to protect the undocumented immigrant community.
Since 2016, there has been a decrease in reports of both sexual assault and domestic violence in the undocumented community,” said Assemblywoman Rubio. “We have noticed that undocumented immigrants have been afraid to seek assistance for their traumatic and abusive experiences. These survivors are afraid that if they seek help, they will be deported. We want to help survivors feel empowered to seek help and justice.”
Over the past two years, we have seen a dramatic decline in undocumented survivors’ access to life-saving domestic violence services and support. Fear of deportation, family separation, and uncertainty about anti-immigrant policies from Washington D.C. are forcing undocumented survivors into the shadows, exposing them to even greater risk.
According to the California Public Defenders Association, “AB 1073 upholds California’s core values of community, family unity, and common humanity by ensuring that immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are protected from enforcement actions by the federal government. Immigrants are part of California’s heart and soul. They have deep roots in our neighborhoods and communities. Those immigrants who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault should not be afraid to seek shelter because they are afraid of being arrested or deported by ICE.”
AB 1073 (Rubio), will now be heading to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
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Website of Assemblymember Blanca E. Rubio: www.asm.ca.gov/Rubio