The Tahirih Justice Center is a nonprofit that helps women, girls, and other survivors of violence access safety. From domestic violence and sexual assault to forced marriage and human trafficking, the experiences our clients have gone through are unimaginable to most of us. 

Our center was founded in Falls Church, and I am a Virginia resident. The majority of our clients are immigrants and live all over the state. Recently, Virginia enacted an Executive Order that claims to target immigrants who commit heinous crimes. But Executive Order 47 places the burden of federal immigration enforcement on the shoulders of our state cops, hands more tools to abusers, and makes all of us less safe. The order’s preamble presents it as a policy to protect the community from crime, but in reality, it does the opposite.

While it’s true that immigrants commit fewer crimes than people born in the United States, it’s also true that there is no “safe space” for people who commit crimes in Virginia. Virginia police do not need new authority to arrest people who commit crimes, regardless of their country of origin — that is already their job.

What changes with Executive Order 47 is that the Virginia State Police will now have the authority to question and arrest people who have not committed crimes but who police believe may be present in the United States without immigration status. Immigration is a civil matter, not a criminal one, but with Executive Order 47, the issues converge. It means police will now be attempting to enforce civil immigration laws instead of focusing on their core mission of stopping crime in our neighborhoods. As a Virginian, I don’t want that.

For women living in abusive and exploitative situations, this change could be a death sentence. It’s often said that the most dangerous time in the cycle of an abusive relationship is when the survivor takes steps to leave. Often, our clients are in relationships with U.S.-born Americans who understand how to manipulate the law, their victims, and even law enforcement. Abusers already threaten immigrants that reaching out to the police for help could lead to their deportation. For women with children, or who fled violence in their native country, the fear of permanent banishment from the United States can be just as strong as their fear of remaining in a dangerous relationship. Now, abusers can point to Executive Order 47 to back up their threats.  

At Tahirih, we work with people who are in the process of saving their own lives, taking care of their families, and navigating immigration laws. With little to no resources, some fled unrestrained gang violence in other countries. They survived acid attacks and other mutilations of their bodies because they were considered their husband’s property rather than human beings. Still others escaped human traffickers and domestic violence right here in the United States.

But let’s not focus on the horror our clients have survived and, instead, let’s recognize their heroism. As one Tahirih client recently told her lawyer, “You guys healed something, but you didn’t break it.” As CEO of this Virginia-based organization, I’d like to invite lawmakers to meet with our clients and learn about their experiences. 

Whether we were born in the United States or abroad, Virginia is now home. Our fates and our futures are commingled. Law enforcement in Virginia works hard every day to encourage all people who are experiencing violence to report it. Executive Order 47 undermines that work.

Executive Order 47 harms people who have survived these tragedies and diverts police resources, making all of us less safe. We all deserve better. Executive Order 47 must be rescinded. 

Archi Pyati is the CEO of Tahirih Justice Center, a national nonprofit that supports immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. She has more than 20 years of experience in immigration law, women’s rights, and policy advocacy.