Biden Administration Policies Must Enhance Protections and Services for Immigrant Survivors

The new Biden-Harris administration brings us hope that we can not only overturn the previous administration’s policies that target and harm immigrant communities, but work together toward a more just and equitable country that recognizes the essential role of immigrants in our society. We applaud several initial actions taken quickly by the new administration, including introduction of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 and numerous executive orders, such as repealing the discriminatory Muslim and African travel bans, repealing the Interior Enforcement Executive Order, undoing guidance that would put survivors on track for deportation, and halting the Migrant Protection Protocols policy – one step toward bringing dignity to our asylum system. We’re expecting another round of immigration-related policy announcements tomorrow that may impact asylum, family separation, and the harmful public charge rule.

In the coming weeks, Congress will turn its attention to the administration’s proposed emergency relief package to deal with the compounding crises of COVID and economic and racial injustice. The American Rescue Plan recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated domestic violence and sexual assault and calls for $800 million in supplemental funding for key supports for survivors. The proposal would also make COVID-19 vaccination accessible regardless of immigration status, strengthen protections for industries that employ immigrant essential workers, and make many people in mixed-status families eligible for pandemic relief checks.

AIS has been meeting with policy experts and advocates in both the immigration and survivor advocacy fields for months leading up to the election and in recent weeks as these sweeping proposals have been developed and announced. We will continue analyzing these policies and provide you with resources to better understand them and opportunities to join with us to center immigrant survivors and help hold this new administration and Congress accountable for their promises. We’re also hosting a webinar on February 4 to highlight the impacts these policies may have on immigrant survivors .


We recommend that Congress:

  • Strengthen survivor-based immigration protections, including the U visa program

  • Provide protections for abused dependent spouses and children in all immigration programs

  • Support survivor self-sufficiency, remove vulnerabilities to further victimization, and improve access to paths to protection

  • Prevent detention & removal of victims

We recommend that the Administration:

  • Support and strengthen immigration protections for survivors of gender-based violence, including promptly processing survivor applications

  • Prevent the unjust detention and deportation of survivors

  • Protect the confidentiality of victims and limit information-sharing about survivors

  • Strengthen training in federal agencies

  • Expand access to safety net supports and services

  • Prioritize cross-agency expertise and coordination

AIS stands ready to work to ensure the immigration system prioritizes the safety and autonomy of immigrant survivors and their children – and we invite you to join us!