In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act ("VAWA"), which provided funding for domestic violence enforcement efforts, research and data collection, prevention programs, and services for victims. VAWA also increased penalties for certain domestic violence-related crimes and expanded the Federal Criminal Code to include new categories of crimes. When VAWA was reauthorized by Congress in 2000, it also created the U Visa, which protects and assists victims who assist law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting an array of crimes, including domestic violence. From an immigration perspective, VAWA amended the Immigration & Nationality Act to provide relief for non-citizens who are abused or battered by their U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident ("LPR") spouse or parent or U.S. citizen child.
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