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People wait at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry bridge to turn themselves in to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for asylum consideration on January 13th, 2019, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

News in Brief

Emails Reveal How the Trump Administration Backed Down on Asylum Restrictions

After a judge blocked the administration's attempt to categorically deny asylum to those fleeing domestic violence and gang violence, administration officials acquiesced and sent out new guidance to asylum officers and immigration judges.

Jack Herrera

Honduran migrants look through the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Tijuana, Mexico on December 15th, 2018. Former Attorney Jeff Sessions issued an interim decision in June in which he ruled that the violence survivors did not merit asylum.

Social Justice

Here’s What Immigrant Rights Groups Are Saying After a Federal Judge Ruled That the Trump Administration’s Ban on Domestic Violence Victims Violated Immigration Law

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions "unlawfully and arbitrarily imposed a heightened standard" blocking escapees from violence from seeking refuge in the United States, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Massoud Hayoun

The Myths Behind the Idea That Domestic Violence Is a ‘Personal Problem’

A viral Thrillist story about a burger joint left out domestic abuse charges against the owner—but intimate partner violence isn't a private issue.

Emma Sarappo

A migrant mother walks with her two daughters on their way to cross the port of entry into the U.S. for their asylum hearing on June 21st, 2018, in Tijuana, Mexico.

News in Brief

In Asylum Claims, Is Domestic Abuse ‘Private Violence’ or a Societal Issue?

Advocates argue that asylum seekers aren't just fleeing domestic abuse—they're fleeing gender-based violence.

Jack Herrera

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to reporters outside his office in Midtown Manhattan, on October 24th, 2018.

Now That Andrew Cuomo’s Been Re-Elected, Will He Tackle Criminal Justice Reform in New York?

Pacific Standard spoke with Alyssa Smaldino, an organizer with Survived and Punished, about the governor's record reluctance to commute the sentences of jailed domestic abuse survivors.

Natalie Pattillo

How Louisiana Is Taking Guns Out of Abusers’ Hands

Abused women are five times more likely to be killed if the perpetrator owns a firearm.

Natalie Pattillo

Economics

The Economic Implications of Domestic Abuse

In a new report, 73 percent of respondents said they stayed with an abusive partner because of economic reasons.

Natalie Pattillo

Representative Keith Ellison outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 21st, 2017.

Social Justice

Given the Keith Ellison Allegations, What’s a Democrat in Minnesota to Do?

Our choice for attorney general is between a bigot and a possible domestic abuser.

David M. Perry

Social Justice

How the Trump Administration Is Leaving Domestic Violence Victims to Fend for Themselves, Both at Home and Abroad

Immigration authorities are now making it dangerous for non-citizen abuse victims to seek legal protections from their aggressors.

Massoud Hayoun

News in Brief

After Backlash, the Army Suspends the Discharge of Immigrant Recruits

After news broke in July that the United States Army was quietly discharging immigrant recruits, high-ranking military officials have ordered a halt to the discharges.

Jack Herrera