25 LC 48 1617
House Resolution 756
By: Representatives Lim of the 98
th
, Carpenter of the 4
th
, Santos of the 117
th
, Tran of the 80
th
,
Clark of the 108
th
, and others
A RESOLUTION
Encouraging the General Assembly to preserve access to safety and justice for all survivors
1
of gender-based violence and human trafficking by adopting language that ensures protection2
for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other3
crimes to safely report to and assist law enforcement, and to prevent the assistance from law4
enforcement from being used as a tool of control and abuse; and for other purposes.5
WHEREAS, Georgia is home to a diverse immigrant population where one out of every ten6
Georgia residents is an immigrant and one in 13 Georgia residents is U.S. born with at least7
one immigrant parent; and8
WHEREAS, immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking,9
and other crimes often face significant barriers to safety, including fear of escalated violence,10
threats of deportation, and language access; and11
WHEREAS, immigrants experience abuse at twice the rate of the general U.S. population,12
and when married to a U.S. citizen, the rate of abuse is three times higher; and13
WHEREAS, Georgia ranks third nationally in detained immigrant populations, which14
contributes to an environment of fear among immigrant communities; and15
H. R. 756
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WHEREAS, survivors who fear criminalization are less likely to report crime, and it is a
16
common tactic of power and control for abusers to keep immigrant survivors of17
domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking silent by threatening to call U.S.18
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and have them deported; and19
WHEREAS, if detained and deported, key witnesses and victims of crime in Georgia will no20
longer be available to local law enforcement as they seek to crack down on human trafficking21
and domestic violence crimes; and22
WHEREAS, data shows that when laws like HB 1105 are passed, immigrant survivors of23
human trafficking and other forms of gender-based violence become even more afraid to24
leave their homes to seek safety and shelter for fear of being profiled by law enforcement.25
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that26
the members of this body encourage the preservation and access to safety and justice for all27
survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking by adopting language that ensures28
protection for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking,29
and other crimes to safely report to law enforcement.30
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized31
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the32
General Assembly.33
H. R. 756
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