The invisible gap: domestic violence and immigrant women in the U.S.

In the United States, thousands of immigrant women who arrive with many dreams live trapped between two fears: the fear of an abuser and the fear of the immigration system. In their homes, they face domestic violence, while in institutions, the possibility of being ignored, revictimized, or even deported remains. 

The stories behind the numbers are repeated throughout the country; women who remain silent for fear of deportation, who do not go to court because they do not speak English, or who take refuge in a friend’s house to avoid deportation because of having asked for help or having raised their voice against violence. 

Undoubtedly, amidst this panorama, the promise of protection offered by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), protection that also extends to men, created in 1994 to protect victims of violence, is diluted in procedures that often advance more slowly than their needs, leaving many women in a gray area between hope and lack of protection. 

Others, more fortunate, manage to initiate their own petition under this law, which allows, among other things, victims of abuse to become independent of their abusers and to regularize their immigration status. But the process is long and emotionally exhausting: while they wait for a response, many remain potentially at risk. 

Official figures only show part of the problem, as for every reported case there are many more that go unreported, an undercount hidden behind fear and misinformation. Despite legal advances and the work of advocacy organizations, violence against immigrant women is growing faster than the state’s response. 

In this special investigation, I cross-reference data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors (AIS), the American Immigration Council (AIC), and a compendium of academic studies reviewed by the National Library of Medicine, with the aim of reconstructing the most recent picture of this silent crisis: how many seek protection, how many obtain it, and what factors continue to push them into invisibility. 

A reality that reveals a shared vulnerability 

Let’s begin by reviewing a key piece of data to understand the universe we are going to analyze. According to the American Immigration Council (AIC) in its most recent measurement, immigrant women in the United States come from more than 150 countries, although Mexico with 22.1%, India with 5.6%, the Philippines with 5.2% and China with 5.1% account for more than 38% of the total. 

While this cultural diversity represents an asset to American society, it also presents a challenge to public policy, as there is no single profile of a female immigrant victim, but rather a wide range of realities that require differentiated responses. 

From undocumented domestic workers to professionals with work visas, many live under the same pattern of vulnerability: legal, economic, or emotional dependence on their abuser. Without support networks or clear information about their rights, many women are trapped in abusive relationships, fearing that reporting the abuse means losing everything: their partner, their livelihood, their family, or their American dream. 

Violence is rampant while responses are slow to arrive 

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) Annual Report, which shows the magnitude of the problem in the states, just in 2024, organizations affiliated with this network assisted 77,292 victims, while 13,956 requests for help could not be met due to a lack of resources or personnel. In addition, 22,701 calls were registered on hotlines, demonstrating a constant demand for support. 

The states most affected are also the most populated and have a high immigrant presence: New York with 8,892 victims, Texas with 6,427, Illinois with 3,904, Pennsylvania with 3,184, and Washington with 2,970. We will analyze this further below.  

But the other side of the map also shows inequality: states like Wyoming, Montana, or North Dakota reported fewer than 500 victims served, which suggests gaps in access to specialized services in rural regions or those with less social infrastructure. 

The states where the most victims of violence receive care 

The data reveals that behind each statistic lies not only a story of vulnerability, but also of access to support networks that make all the difference. The most recent records show that New York leads the nation in the number of victims assisted, with 8,892, a figure that places it well above the rest of the states. 

In second place is the state of Texas, with 6,427 victims served, an equally significant number, but with a different background, since its border location makes it a high-risk territory because migratory flows, detentions and contexts of exploitation converge there. 

Illinois ranks third with 3,904 victims served, followed closely by Pennsylvania with 3,184, representing a decrease of almost half in the number of victims served compared to the two states at the top of the list. 

From fifth place onward, the figures show a gradual decline but remain significant. Washington with 2,970, Ohio with 2,701, and Florida with 2,604 occupy intermediate positions. In these states, the presence of migrant communities and the work of state networks have allowed for a broader reach of aid. 

Massachusetts closes the list with 2,374, Missouri with 2,362, and Georgia with 2,095. Their inclusion confirms that the phenomenon is not concentrated in a few territories, but rather crosses the country transversally, and although the numbers are lower, they represent efforts to strengthen care for victims, often in rural environments. 

Collectively, these ten states account for many victims served nationwide. New York, Texas, and Illinois alone represent more than 40% of the total, revealing a pattern of concentration in areas with high migrant populations. This data suggests that the victim support network is becoming truly national and expanding its reach.  

Behind each number is the life of a woman who managed to access help, and of course behind each state there is a network of institutions, communities, and policies that define the extent of the response to violence and vulnerability in the United States, and where it is still lacking. 

Domestic violence and immigration: the weight of fear 

After a revision a compilation of 20 studies summarized from the last 10 years and published in 2023 by the National Library of Medicine, which confirms the magnitude of intimate partner violence in immigrant communities. The research shows that, on average, 25% of immigrant women suffered some type of violence as of the date of the reviewed study. 

It is interesting to note that the data collection exercise also found that, at some point in their lives, whether as girls, young women, adults, or older women, an average of 53% of immigrant women acknowledged having suffered violence at some point in their lives. 

And, on average, 14% of immigrants acknowledged having committed domestic violence during the past year, and 12.8% admitted to having done so at some point. Furthermore, the study shows us that there are many variables that limit immigrant women’s access to justice and formal assistance: 

1. Fear of deportation discourages many from contacting the police. 
2. Economic and emotional dependence on the aggressor, which reinforces the cycle of control. 
3. Linguistic and cultural barriers hinder communication with authorities. 
4. Lack of awareness of rights, especially among those living without legal status. 

Precisely for these reasons, and as an immigration lawyer, I can say that violence against immigrant women is not just a private matter: it is a reflection of a social structure that places them at a disadvantage before the law and state protection. 

Fear as an invisible border 

Let’s now review the data from the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors (AIS) which shows that fear remains the hardest border to cross. 

The information we will review was published in the report Fear and Silence: 2025 Perspectives of Immigrant Survivor Advocates, in which 170 victim advocates were surveyed. 

The data reveals that 75.6% of respondents say survivors are afraid to call the police for fear of deportation or involvement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Similarly, 70.3% say many avoid going to court for fear of being identified as undocumented immigrants. 

Half of the women who faced this fear decided not to report it or seek help. And, since the end of 2024, 79.7% of advocates reported an increase in inquiries about immigration processes, even among women with legal residency. 

In short, the fear of deportation outweighs the possibility of receiving justice, and the migratory threat thus becomes an indirect control mechanism that perpetuates silence and impunity. 

A protective measure that has not yet been achieved 

Data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows a significant increase in applications filed under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) between 2023 and 2025. During this period, the number of self-petitions, filed using Form I-360, rose from 50,929 in 2023 to 70,171 in 2024, a 38% increase in just one year. However, approvals did not increase proportionally, reaching 15.3% (7,639) in 2023 and 16.9% (11,928) in 2024. 

However, 2025 marked a turning point. Reported approvals skyrocketed to 38,856, a rate of 57%, but behind this apparent improvement lies a key fact: as of June, more than 200,000 cases remained pending, reflecting an overloaded system with persistent delays that can last for years. 

The VAWA pathway remains a crucial tool, but its real effectiveness depends on USCIS’s ability to reduce administrative backlogs, simplify evidentiary requirements, and ensure prompt decisions, especially in cases where there is a risk of violence or deportation. 

The data, though stark, tells the same story: domestic violence among immigrant women is growing faster than the state’s capacity to respond. The immigration system, designed to protect, has in many cases become a barrier that delays justice and prolongs fear. While protection requests pile up and shelters fill up, thousands of women continue to wait for more than just a paper approval: they wait for a humane and effective response that will protect them before it’s too late. 

A crisis that the system has yet to contain 

In conclusion, between 2023 and 2025, more than 188,000 immigrant women They requested protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), however, only 57% of cases were approved in 2025 , after years in which the rate did not exceed 17%, even so, the volume of requests reveals a system that is still overwhelmed with more than 200,000 backlogged applications. 

In shelters and helplines, the gap is just as profound. According to the National Network Against Domestic Violence (NNEDV), 77,292 immigrant women received assistance last year. States like New York (8,892 victims served) and Texas (6,427) stand out. and California, with 5,413, concentrates the greatest demand, while others, with less infrastructure, barely manage to register the cases. 

Fear also plays a role: 75 % are afraid to contact the police, and 70 % avoid going to court. due to the risk of deportation. Likewise, the composition of the migrant population exacerbates inequality. Mexico, with 22.1 %, accounts for the largest share, followed by India with 5.6 %, the Philippines with 5.2 %, and China with 5.1 %.  

Taken together, the data reflect a profound imbalance: for every woman who manages to access help, another is left unprotected; and for every victim who achieves immigration relief, there are at least ten more who remain trapped between violence and uncertainty. The true gap is not measured solely in numbers, but in the void that exists between asking for help and receiving a response.