If you have experienced abuse from a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child, you may be wondering whether you have any options that do not depend on your abuser’s cooperation. This is one of the most common fears I hear in consultations: “My status is tied to my spouse. If I

A woman calls a domestic violence hotline at eleven at night. She has just found the courage to leave. She is exhausted, scared, and has heard that because her immigration status was tied to her husband, leaving might mean losing everything. Someone on the other end of the line tells her about VAWA. She has