Thousands of Migrants Report Sexual Abuse While in Custody
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency policy prohibits sexual abuse. Although abuse is illegal regardless of your citizenship, migrant victims of sexual abuse often live in fear and helplessness after the trauma of their assault. Because of this, many do not know where to find help and suffer in silence. If you have experienced sexual assault as a migrant or while being detained by ICE, you can achieve justice and find healing. You are not alone and you have rights, no matter your legal status. Our compassionate team of advocates are here to provide legal recourse for you if [...]
Safety For Undocumented Victims Of Sexual Assault
In all the controversial arguments that surround the issue of undocumented immigration, it is easy to forget one crucial truth: undocumented immigrants are people who live with constant fear. When a person chooses to leave their native country for the United States without going through proper procedure, their choice is usually made under duress. Political unrest or pressing financial need is often the catalyst for sending immigrants over the border. For a variety of reasons, they fear staying in their home country and do not have the funds or the time to wait for the US government to process their [...]
Immigrant Workers Take a Stand Against Workplace Assault
The San Diego workforce is full of immigrants from across the border. Some are legal to work in the U.S.; many are not. Regardless of their status, they face a threat that is, in many ways, more terrible than deportation. It's a threat that some of them left Mexico to escape. The threat is workplace sexual assault targeting immigrants. Exhibit A: Farm Workers Last November, National Public Radio aired a feature on this issue, highlighting the story of Maricruz Ladino, a farm worker in the Salinas Valley. She detailed how, in 2006, a supervisor raped her during work hours. After [...]
Three Years Later, High School Rape Victim Is Vindicated
In December 2010, during her senior year at Henderson High School in eastern Texas, Rachel Bradshaw-Bean accompanied a classmate into the band room when he told her he needed to talk. She didn't know him well, but he was a fellow bandmate. Within moments, the “talk” turned violent. Rachel was raped. Within hours, she found the band director and told him of the sexual assault. According to Rachel, the teacher's astonishing reply was to tell her she should "work it out with the boy. "Numb from the attack and from the teacher's cold shoulder, Rachel stayed at school to attend [...]
