妇女呼吁：移民法案，刻不容缓.docVIP

妇女呼吁：移民法案，刻不容缓 　　With the merely postponed but still unresolved budget crisis and the colossally inept launch of the Affordable Health Care Act holding center stage in the national political agenda， advocates lobbying for comprehensive immigration reform policies that are inclusive of women are fighting to maintain momentum and prevent the issue from becoming a casualty of Washingtons dysfunction. The prospect of a decline in urgency can only harm the 4.1 million women who make up roughly a little less than half of all undocumented persons currently living in the United States， say immigration reform advocates. If you are against immigration [reform]， you are against women， said Pramila Jayapal， co-chair of We Belong Together， in a phone interview. We Belong Together is a campaign launched by a coalition of groups seeking to redefine the priorities of the immigration debate and raise awareness about why immigration reform is a womens issue. The specific challenges faced by women with no legal status in the U.S. are documented in scholarly reports and studies， and have even been featured as an occasional story line in almost every contemporary police procedural on American TV. 　　Because of fear of deportation， undocumented female immigrants are reluctant to report domestic violence， rape and other crimes against them. They have irregular employment histories and find themselves powerless to fight work exploitation. Some are brought into the U.S. under false pretenses of a job opportunity and then forced into prostitution. Others struggle to keep their family together and raise their children to become successful， but poor language skills and fear of discovery hold them back from volunteering for the PTA or engaging in community activities. 　　Immigrant women are more likely to confront poverty， violence and exploitation than any other group in America， according to the website of Legal Momentum， a New York City-based advocacy group. And yet， the current immigration