For abuse survivors like Juana Padilla, nonprofit organizations can be a lifeline amid heightened threats of federal enforcement actions which sometimes lead to deportation.
Padilla, a woman who suffered domestic abuse in Southern California, told a recent American Community Media (ACoM) panel that the Survivor Justice Center in Los Angeles helped her get protection for herself and her Mexican-born children. The children are now here legally and getting the treatment they needed, she said.
“I was afraid to even say that I was abused,” Padilla said. “Especially when your husband is ex-military and they put in your head that you have nobody. I would call the police and they would come to my house and see his uniform …. and say everything is fine, and leave.”
