Introduction

• Author: Elizabeth Anne Campbell; Rachel DeLia Settlage; Veronica Thronson
• Pages: 1-10

I. Purpose of This Book

The information provided in this book is intended to serve as an introduction

to the range of immigration remedies available to vulnerable populations

involved with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Much has

been written about the intersection of immigration and criminal law, but

the bulk of this work for criminal law practitioners has focused on the

immigration consequences that attach to noncitizen perpetrators of crime.

We aim to provide a basic overview of the ways in which immigration law

shapes the experiences of not only perpetrators, but also noncitizen victims

of crime and abuse. This knowledge is crucial for everyone working in the

realm of criminal law, no matter his or her perspective or role, to understand

the impact of immigration status issues on the dynamics of criminal law.

While the subject matter in this book is not limited to domestic violence,

much of it addresses crimes of domestic violence, because immigrants, par-

ticularly women and children, are at greater risk for domestic violence not

only because of their immigration status or lack of status, but also because

of the way U.S. immigration law is structured.

1

New immigrants often

are not aware of their rights to protection and assistance in this country.

1. Because an overwhelming number of abused victims are women and children,

gender references in this book mostly refer to women. Most of the forms of immi-

gration relief discussed in this book are gender neutral and available to male victims

as well.

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Chapter 1

Introduction

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