Steve Legomsky: “Gender-related violence should be grounds for asylum. Congress must fix this for women”

The trump administration has sought to narrow asylum eligibility.  Immigration professor Stephen Legomsky argues for something different.  In an op/ed in USA Today, Legomsky calls for congressional amendment of the asylum laws to protect women.  He begins:

“Our asylum laws have some gaping holes. These gaps endanger many groups, but none more so than women and girls who are fleeing domestic violence, honor killings, mass rape in wartime, gang rape by criminal gangs, and other gender-related violence. Congress must explicitly recognize gender-based persecution as a potential asylum ground.”

The powerful conclusion:

“The U.S. cannot singlehandedly eradicate all violence against women and girls — even here at home. But we can at least avoid being an accomplice. When women and girls arrive at our shores asking only that they not be beaten, raped or murdered, delivering them to their tormentors is not an option. Congress should restore the original meaning of “particular social group,” and it should recognize that gender, like race and religion, belongs in the list of specifically protected grounds.”

KJ