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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The Trump administration is making the country less safe for domestic violence victims
Over the last four decades, the United States has built a web of federal policies and funding to address domestic and intimate partner violence, a pervasive health and safety crisis. In just 130 days, the Trump administration has put that safety net in jeopardy. Funding pauses, cuts, firings and information purges have destabilized the infrastructure that helps victims of abuse. At the same time, federal teams dedicated to preventing sexual violence are being decimated. Departments in charge of administering grants that fund shelters for those fleeing assault have been deemed 'duplicative, DEI or simply unnecessary.' The first budget recommendation proposed by the administration of a man found liable for sexual abuse suggests eliminating the team tackling rape prevention and education. It takes a limited view of who is worthy of help to flee abuse. These changes limit how federal funds can be used to support survivors and emphasize criminal consequences for perpetrators over a more holistic view of justice. The federal government has long recognized domestic violence and violence between romantic partners as a critical public health and safety issue. Four out of every 10 women say they've experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner, according to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among men, a quarter reported being victims. Intimate partner violence can be deadly, particularly for women: More than half of all women homicide victims are killed by a current or former partner, according to a CDC study. In 1994, Congress recognized violence against women as a national crisis and passed a law that supercharged the government's funding and attention to the issue. They haven't solved the problem — but lawmakers and advocates say the Violence Against Women Act and its predecessor, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, have been essential to the protection of victims and the decline in violent crime. Federal grant programs are the lifeblood of domestic violence services programs — and they have been threatened since the day Trump returned to office. His executive orders on gender and 'illegal' diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility led to lists of banned words. Federal departments raced to sanitize their communications, eradicating decades of research and data. Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget issued a short-lived freeze on funding distributions pending evaluation of programs for compliance with executive orders. Nonprofits that relied on federal funds to provide services to victims of domestic violence scrambled for legal advice: Was their budget at risk because they had a pride flag on their website? Did they also have to erase all mentions of banned words? The National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is largely funded by appropriations from the Department of Health and Human Services, removed resources for LGBTQ+ survivors from its website. The majority of state domestic violence coalitions, the umbrella organizations that support direct service providers, took their websites offline — though when asked if it was related to Trump's actions, most declined to answer on the record. So far, there has only been one reported case of a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women being revoked, but hundreds of grants already issued by the Office of Justice Programs were abruptly canceled because they no longer aligned with the administration's priorities. Even while some of the cuts were reversed, the moves created uncertainty that makes it impossible for victims services organizations to plan, increasing the stresses of work that is already difficult and traumatic. Then it was not just current funding, but future provisions that came under fire. The Office on Violence Against Women removed all open notices of funding opportunities from its website on February 6. New versions weren't released for three months, disrupting the grant cycle that must conclude by September 30, the end of the government's financial year. Revised notices included major changes to department priorities and a longer list of activities ineligible for funding. The U.S. attorney general has the authority to prioritize areas for grantmaking. Notices posted before Trump took office didn't have any; now applications are given bonus points in the review round if they 'combat human trafficking and transnational crime, particularly crimes linked to illegal immigration and cartel operations' or seek to improve services in small towns, rural areas or tribal nations. The section defining what is ineligible for funding has ballooned. In addition to complying with executive orders on gender and DEI, the new restrictions put forth a more limited view of interventions around domestic violence. Activities that 'frame domestic violence or sexual assault as systemic social justice issues rather than criminal offenses (e.g., prioritizing criminal justice reform or social justice theories over victim safety and offender accountability)' are banned, as well as activities that 'discourage collaboration with law enforcement.' Initiatives that 'prioritize illegal aliens over U.S. citizens' are also not allowed. Rita Smith, an international expert on violence against women, is publicly raising the alarm about these changes. As the Office on Violence Against Women announces new grants on LinkedIn, Smith reshares them to her large network with a warning. 'I think if people apply for these grants and they get them, it may open them up to the kind of scrutiny that they're not used to getting from the Department of Justice,' Smith said in an interview. She's worried that organizations will be subject to intrusive data collection or information gathering, especially around the immigration status of their clients. Smith used to work in direct services, and now has a more administrative role in the movement against domestic violence. 'We never required anyone to show us their immigration papers,' she said. 'We didn't ask for documentation if people said they were in danger. If they processed through the intake questions that we had, and we determined that they were in danger, we gave them shelter.' 'We didn't ask them for a green card. We didn't ask them for visas. We just brought them in to make them safe.' The administration's priorities conflict with some recent moves to better reach diverse populations. The 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act created a funding scheme for culturally specific service providers, which are tailored to the needs of Asian, Black Native American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander or Latinx survivors. But how are those organizations supposed to operate when DEI is banned? How can nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ survivors do their work without acknowledging the trans community? Guidance remains piecemeal and oftentimes unofficial — no one knows exactly how to bulletproof their organization. Smith sees the new restriction on funding as a way to redefine who is a victim in the eyes of the federal government. The requirements are so onerous that it can make it hard for nonprofits to serve their purpose: helping people escape violence. Some organizations have made the decision to refuse federal funds because it comes with conditions antithetical to their mission. But the gaps left will be hard to fill. When the Trump administration fired nearly every federal employee within the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention, it did away with the only team at the federal level working specifically on domestic and intimate partner violence prevention. The program they oversaw — called DELTA, or Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances — was first created in 2002 to harness federally funded research and expertise on the causes of intimate partner violence, along with the connections of state and local domestic violence groups, so fewer people become victims in the first place. Getting that work off the ground asked already strained groups trying to serve victims to shift some of their energy to prevention work, but staff at the CDC at the time, and until April, remained committed to what one laid-off worker referred to as the 'cultural norms change' that's a key part of preventing domestic and intimate partner violence. Under DELTA, which currently funds 13 state-based domestic violence networks, the CDC helps state groups implement prevention programs and measures how successful they are at preventing violence. 'If you remember taking a class on healthy relationships, or seeing PSA about domestic violence, or anything like that in your school or communities — those are some examples of our prevention work,' said one former federal worker within the Division of Violence Prevention who was part of the administration's 'reduction in force.' They declined to be named out of fear of losing their remaining federal benefits.'People, I think, sometimes take it for granted, because it's just something that's there. But those kinds of things are going to go away, and no one is going to be there to teach our kids about healthy relationships or help communities reshape the norms around what's acceptable in how we treat one another.' 'All of that stuff will be gone.' The administration has not clawed back funding for the current budget year from the 13 DELTA states, but staff in those states are doing without the expertise of staff at the CDC. The Trump administration has proposed slashing DELTA altogether next year, alongside the other programs under the Division of Violence Prevention, calling the spending 'duplicative, DEI, or simply unnecessary.' The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which receives nearly half a million dollars in funding through DELTA, said the funding cut would be 'catastrophic.' DELTA 'is the only dedicated federal funding source for the primary prevention of domestic violence and a critical tool for driving real, lasting change,' said Jennifer Beittel, a spokesperson for the group. Hema Sarang-Sieminski, the executive director of Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts sexual assault and domestic violence coalition, said their CDC grant managers were all laid off. She found their advice and expertise invaluable; the team created resources for working with LGBTQ+ survivors and culturally specific communities. Jane Doe Inc.'s grant was for five years, and Sarang-Sieminski just reapplied, as required for year two. It's unclear what support her organization will have moving forward. Of the 61 million women nationwide who say they've experienced violence at the hands of a romantic partner, 16 million reported first experiencing it before they turned 18. The administration's staffing cuts and proposed budget cuts would also hit the CDC's team focused on teen dating violence. That team developed a program called 'Dating Matters,' the first comprehensive teen dating violence prevention effort in the United States using funding appropriated by Congress. The funding came after several high-profile cases of dating violence, in particular the 2005 death of Rhode Island student Lindsay Ann Burke, whose boyfriend was convicted of her murder. Her parents became advocates for teen dating violence education efforts, arguing that their daughter may not have had enough information about the dynamics of abusive relationships before her death. One longitudinal study on 6th through 8th graders across four cities that adopted the CDC's Dating Matters model for middle school found that by the 11th grade, the program had no only reduced dating violence, but also sexual violence, harrassment, substance use and delinquency. In 2024, the team published a guide specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, who face higher rates of dating and sexual violence. In January, after Trump took office, those resources were deleted to comply with the executive order on 'radical gender ideology.' By April, the whole team had been laid off. An update and rebrand of the Dating Matters program was slated to publish later this year, but it's unclear who will carry it to the finish line. 'Dating Matters consumed a lot of my life and it was destroyed for no reason whatsoever,' said Sarah DeGue, senior scientist in the Division of Violence Prevention, who led the CDC's Dating Matters program for the last decade. 'American teens are in the midst of a mental health crisis. … This is the absolute worst possible time to eliminate effective programs and resources that teach kids healthy relationship skills.' DeGue was part of the administration's so-called 'reduction in force.' Since leaving the CDC, she has started her own consulting firm focused on violence prevention and is uploading deleted resources to her firm's website. The former CDC employee who declined to make their name public said they hope lawmakers can intervene to protect the work. 'I believe that there are still people in Congress, in our government at that level who care… But not the Trump administration. I don't believe that at all.' In his first term, Trump only floated cuts to the Office on Violence Against Women and didn't follow through. Now, groups are acutely aware of how many people will suffer — and die — without the funding that makes their services possible. Two prominent lawsuits are challenging the constitutionality of these specific cuts. The American Bar Association won a preliminary injunction in a case alleging its five grants from the Office on Violence Against Women were canceled as retaliation for suing the administration. The $2 million of outstanding grants were to employ seven people to provide training to legal practitioners working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. FORGE, the only domestic violence services nonprofit dedicated solely to assisting transgender and nonbinary survivors, relies on the federal government for 90 percent of its operating budget. In February, it joined other LGBTQ+ organizations in suing the Trump administration over the constitutionality of the executive order about gender. In April, the Office of Justice Programs canceled FORGE's grants — over $500,000 in total —to produce a toolkit for providers working with trans victims of crime and a project addressing anti-trans hate . Arguments in FORGE's case were held on May 22 in a California district court. An order is expected soon. The federal funding freeze in January spooked Jane Doe Inc., Sarang-Sieminski said. Worried about conflicting with executive orders, the nonprofit took its website down. But after two days, it put the site back online. Reflecting on their core mission of racial equity is what changed the staff's minds, Sarang-Sieminski said. The site still has sections tailored to LGBTQ+ and immigrant survivors and speaks about building a more equitable world. 'It's so through and through who we are that we felt like there's nothing that we really could possibly take down that would protect us in any meaningful way,' she said. Taking down the website would 'only do further harm to communities who are counting on us to speak up and to be present and available when others refuse to.' 'What keeps me up at night is thinking about the stories we will tell about this time looking back,' Sarang-Sieminski said. 'This is liberatory work, and what we want to see is a world where we can all thrive. And to me that means not leaving folks behind and standing up for our fundamental principles around this work.' Half of the organization's funding is dependent on federal grants, but she doesn't want that to 'cloud our judgment around our values.' On Thursday, Democratic Reps. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Debbie Dingell of Michigan, and Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, will join a coalition of intimate partner and sexual violence groups for a day of action on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of federal funding. Both Moore and Dingell have led several letters to the administration pushing back on funding delays and staffing cuts. 'I am horrified,' said Moore, who has detailed her experience as a victim of domestic violence. 'Maybe it's not intentional, but it's very dangerous as a survivor of domestic violence — a survivor in the days where there was no crisis line to call, … no information to be able to stand up for yourself. There was no shelter to go to.' 'We've made so much progress in the last decade,' Dingell said. 'We're going backwards, and it really scares me.' Domestic violence services remain operational throughout the United States. Confidential, anonymous help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (1-800-799-7233) or online. The post The Trump administration is making the country less safe for domestic violence victims appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Before Joe Biden Became a Political Star, He Dominated on the Gridiron
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this article: Politician Joe Biden grew up playing football and taught himself to speak without a stutter. Despite decades in public office, he has always found time to enjoy ice cream and cars. How the oldest living president has responded to his recent cancer diagnosis. First elected to office in 1972, Joe Biden has been in the public eye for nearly half a century. Having served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, followed by two terms as vice president under Barack Obama, he's no stranger to American voters, who elected him as the 46th president of the United States in November 2020. Now 82, Biden is out of politics following the conclusion of his presidential term this January, but he remains in the public eye. This week, a spokesperson revealed Biden's diagnosis of an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. 'Cancer touches us all,' Biden wrote in a social media post. 'Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.' Despite renewed focus on his health, Biden is generally recognized for his landmark career legislation, including the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, as well as his relatable blue-collar roots. He's a devoted husband to wife Jill Biden and father of Hunter and Ashley Biden. He was equally supportive of his late children Beau and Amy. Here are 10 more facts you might not know about the former president—not including the viral memes about his perceived 'bromance' with Obama or signature aviator sunglasses. Growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden has said he suffered merciless bullying over a 'debilitating' childhood stutter. 'I can think of nothing else that has ever stripped me of my dignity as quickly and as profoundly and as thoroughly as when I stuttered in grade school,' he said in a 2008 speech to the American Institute for Stuttering. As he wrote in his 2008 memoir, a teacher, who was also a nun, even made fun of him, calling him 'Mr. Bu-bu-bu-Biden,' leading him to walk out of class one day. His mother, Catherine, later confronted the teacher, he said, telling the woman, 'If you ever speak to my son like that again, I'll come back and rip that bonnet off your head.' Biden has explained he overcame the stutter by reading and reciting Irish poems, including those by William Butler Yeats, in front of a mirror to monitor and control his facial distortions. To this day, he can still recite long passages of Irish poetry from memory. During his senior year at Delaware's Archmere Academy in 1960, Biden, who played wide receiver and halfback, was a leading scorer on the private Catholic school's undefeated football team. 'He was the guy that was the main pass catcher,' one of his teammates, Michael Fay, recalled to The New York Times in November 2020. 'We were seniors in 1960, so throwing the ball was almost a mortal sin. But he caught seven or eight touchdown passes in eight games, which was a lot for back then.' In 2008, Biden's former coach E. John Walsh described Biden as skinny, 'but he was one of the best pass receivers I had in 16 years as a coach.' Following the December 1972 car accident that claimed the lives of his first wife, Neilia, and 13-month-old daughter, Amy, the newly elected U.S. Senator was sworn into office in January 1973 at the bedsides of his sons, Beau and Hunter, who were badly injured in the crash. Then 30 years old, Biden was one of the youngest senators to be elected, though he'd considered stepping down following the tragedy. Majority Leader Mike Mansfield eventually convinced him to reconsider, and the Senate passed a resolution allowing him to be sworn in at the Delaware hospital. Even so, the then-single dad vowed that he'd resign if his Senate duties took too much time away from Beau and Hunter and even commuted to Washington on Amtrak. 'They can always get another Senator, but my boys cannot get another father,' Biden said. While serving as former President Obama's vice president starting in 2009, the friends would meet for weekly lunches. As part of their partnership, Obama agreed that his VP would always be the final person he'd speak to before making a big decision. In turn, Biden made a loyalty pledge, per The New York Times. 'You make a decision, and I will follow it to my death,' Biden said, according to his friend and advisor Ted Kaufman. Before leaving office in 2016, Obama referred to his decision to tap Biden for the vice president role as the 'single best decision' he'd made, and awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Biden launched his first presidential bid in 1987, before dropping out of the race later that fall. At the time, his campaign became plagued with scandal after a video surfaced of Biden giving a speech at the Iowa State Fair in which he quoted U.K. Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock without attribution. 'When I stopped trying to explain to everybody and thought it through, the blame fell totally on me,' he wrote of the plagiarism accusations in his 2008 memoir Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics. 'Maybe the reporters traveling with me had seen me credit Kinnock over and over, but it was Joe Biden who forgot to credit Kinnock at the State Fair debate.' Biden then ran for the 2008 Democratic nomination before dropping out after finishing fifth in the January 2008 Iowa caucuses. Then-Senator Obama added Biden to his ticket in August of that year. The third run proved to be the charm. Biden, then 77, became the oldest person elected to the presidency in November 2020. (Donald Trump broke that record in 2024.) Despite his age and alleged concerns about his declining health—documented in the new book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again—Biden sought a second term and became the presumptive Democratic nominee in 2024. But soon after a maligned debate performance against Republican nominee Trump, he announced that July he was dropping out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris running. 'I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,' he said. While he no longer holds the record for oldest president at the time of his inauguration—Trump surpassed him by 159 days this January—Biden is the oldest living president following the death of Jimmy Carter at age 100 in December. Past presidents Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton are all younger than Biden. The president and first lady weren't the only Bidens that resided at the White House. They had multiple four-legged family members that accompanied them. Biden started his presidential term with two German Shepherds named Champ and Major, and he later received another, Commander, as a birthday gift from his brother and sister-in-law. Sadly, Champ—who previously lived with the family in Washington D.C. during Biden's time as vice president—died in June 2021. Additionally, Major and Commander were removed from the White House in 2021 and 2023, respectively, following multiple biting incidents with staffers and Secret Service. In the meantime, the Bidens added a cat, Willow, in January 2022. The feline is named after Jill's hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and the subject of Jill's 2024 illustrated children's book Willow the White House Cat. Biden's father, Joseph Biden Sr., a one-time car dealership manager, financed a green 1967 Corvette Stingray for him as a wedding gift, and the president still drives the car. His sons even had the engine rebuilt as a Christmas gift. 'I love this car. Nothing but incredible memories,' Biden said in an August 2020 social media video. 'Every time I get in, I think of my dad and Beau. God, could my dad drive a car.' According to Politico, Biden remains a 'genuine gear-head' and subscribed to Car and Driver alerts on his iPhone. Chances are Biden might be taking a drive to the nearest ice cream store for his well documented favorite snack. 'I don't drink. I don't smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream," Biden said in 2016. Eater reported in April 2020 that his presidential campaign had even spent $10,000 on ice cream—though they were gifts to campaign donors. During the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention, several of Biden's seven grandchildren appeared in a pre-recorded video describing his love for the frozen dessert. 'He's always eating ice cream,' they said, joking that he hides his Breyer's chocolate and vanilla tubs so 'grandma doesn't see.' Biden, who carries Beau's rosary in his pocket and regularly attends Sunday Mass, became the United States' second Catholic president after John F. Kennedy. During his November 2020 presidential victory speech, he referenced the Catholic hymn 'On Eagle's Wings,' which he said was important to his family and his late son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015. 'It captures the faith that sustains me, which I believe sustains America. And I hope and I hope I can provide some comfort and solace,' he told the crowd before reciting lines from the song. 'And he will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn. Make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand.' In 2008, Biden told Katie Couric that the 1981 British historical sports drama Chariots of Fire was his favorite. 'The thing about it, there is a place where someone put personal fame and glory behind principles,' he said. 'That to me, is the mark of real heroism, when someone would do that.' Biden added that one of his favorite scenes is one in which one of the movie's main runners refuses to race on a Sunday due to his religious beliefs. You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Harvard Graduate Self-Deports to Mexico
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Harvard graduate has self-deported to Mexico alongside his husband amid fears about President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Why It Matters Trump pledged to deport millions of immigrants without legal status as part of his campaign message. The Trump administration announced it will pay undocumented immigrants to self-deport rather than await arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Those without legal status could be paid as much as $1,000 if they use the CBP Home app to leave the country. What To Know Francisco Hernandez-Corona, 34, and his United States citizen husband, Irving Hernandez-Corona, decided to leave the country because the federal government ramped up immigration enforcement, NBC10 Boston reported. The couple traveled to Mexico's west coast, arriving in Puerto Vallarta three weeks ago. "We started seeing ICE everywhere and people sent to El Salvador," said Francisco. "There would be knocks at the door and [Francisco] would be scared and be terrified," said Irving. "It was never our intention to leave under these circumstances. We left, basically fleeing." Francisco came to the U.S. when he was 10, sent by his father to cross the border with the help of a coyote. He described the journey through the desert as "the worst three days of my life," adding, "Nobody asked me if this is what I want to do. I didn't have a choice." Migrants walk into Tijuana, Mexico after being deported from the United States on January 21, 2025. Migrants walk into Tijuana, Mexico after being deported from the United States on January 21, 2025. Felix Marquez/AP Francisco's mother passed away from a rare disease several months before his high school graduation. Following her death, his younger sister moved to Texas to live with their older sister, while Francisco remained in their hometown. His teachers provided support, helping him complete high school and pursue higher education at an Ivy League university. He earned a degree in clinical psychology from Harvard University, graduating in 2013 Following his graduation, Francisco sought legal protection through immigration programs. He initially applied for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) during the Obama administration. Later, he pursued a visa under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is available to victims of domestic abuse, citing the violence he and his mother experienced from his father. However, due to significant delays in visa processing and complications arising from his two instances of unauthorized entry into the U.S.—once as a child traveling with his mother on a tourist visa and crossing the border at age 10—Francisco faced legal barriers that included a potential permanent ban from reentering the country. "Because of the choice my dad made when I was a child, U.S. law says it doesn't matter. I don't care that you were 10, I don't care if you were bleeding in the desert, or crying in the desert alone. I don't care that you didn't choose this; you can no longer stay in a place that you call home," said Francisco. After marrying Irving last year, Francisco hoped his immigration status could be resolved. However, he was informed that a permanent bar prevented him from adjusting his status within the U.S. and that he would need to leave the country. Legal advisers recommended canceling their honeymoon plans to Puerto Rico due to concerns that Francisco could be detained. Faced with these challenges, the couple decided to voluntarily leave the U.S. Francisco told his husband, "Then, I guess we have to leave," feeling there was little reason for them to remain. What People Are Saying Francisco Hernandez-Corona told NBC 10 Boston: "I made it. This little brown boy from Lennox is going to Harvard. That's crazy." Irving Hernandez-Corona told NBC 10 Boston: "It's such a hateful place, a hateful environment." What Happens Next Francisco expressed hope that one day he would be able to return to the United States, start a family with Irving, and eventually send their children to Harvard. The Trump administration has maintained that those who self-deport have a chance to return to the country legally.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Time of India
Indian national found guilty in US for faking abuse claim to get immigration benefit
An Indian national has been convicted in the US for submitting a fraudulent immigration application under the Violence Against Women Act ( VAWA ), following an investigation that involved assistance from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ). #Operation Sindoor India responds to Pak's ceasefire violation; All that happened India-Pakistan ceasefire reactions: Who said what Punjab's hopes for normalcy dimmed by fresh violations Nasir Hussain was found guilty and sentenced to time already served for making a false material statement in support of an I-360 VAWA self-petition. The development was announced by the US Attorney's Office in Vermont. Court documents and trial evidence showed that Hussain traveled to Connecticut in October 2021 to enter a marriage with a US citizen for immigration purposes. He never met the woman before or after the wedding. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo To create the appearance of a real marriage, Hussain purchased insurance policies, magazine subscriptions, and ordered products in his wife's name, all addressed to his residence in Orlando, Florida. He later visited a medical clinic and falsely claimed that he had been abused by his wife. These claims, along with the manufactured evidence, were submitted to USCIS to support his VAWA petition. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Testimonies presented in court, including those from the woman and former roommates, confirmed that the woman never lived in Florida. This directly contradicted Hussain's claims that he had been abused while living with her in Orlando. Live Events If his application had been accepted, Hussain could have received a VAWA visa and potentially gained lawful permanent residency in the US. Hussain has been in federal custody since May 2023 in connection with a separate wire fraud conspiracy case. Although a jury found him guilty in October 2024, the court later overturned the verdict. The US government has filed an appeal, which is currently pending. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with support from USCIS.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bondi faces bipartisan calls against delaying funds for domestic violence programs
Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing calls from members of both sides of the aisle to ensure grant funding for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is 'fully restored.' A handful of Republicans joined dozens of Democratic lawmakers in signing a letter to Bondi on Thursday that expressed 'deep concern' after OVW said earlier this year that it had 'withdrawn notices of funding opportunities' and said those interested 'should not finalize any applications started under them.' The website also told would-be applicants to continue to check back 'to stay up-to-date on current and future open funding opportunities.' Lawmakers urge the Department of Justice to 'clarify the status of these grants as soon as possible and take swift action to ensure funding remains available to support survivors and the organizations that serve them.' OFW was established in 1995 after the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, landmark legislation championed by former President Biden during his time as a senator. 'OVW administers critical grant programs that provide lifesaving support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking,' the letter stated, adding that 'the sudden withdrawal of these funding opportunities threatens to disrupt essential services, jeopardize the stability of victim assistance programs, and undermine the bipartisan commitment to combating these forms of violence.' 'A delay or reduction in OVW funding will have devastating consequences for the countless individuals who rely on these resources for safety, legal protection, and recovery,' the letter reads. 'This abrupt withdrawal of funding has created severe uncertainty that threatens the well-being of survivors who cannot afford these delays.' The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), and Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) led more than 100 lawmakers in signing on to the letter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
