Transnational Marriage Abandonment – Strategies to Support Survivors

Transnational marriage abandonment (“TMA”) is when abusers abandon spouses in the spouse’s original country, without means of returning to children in the US, after an abusive marriage in the US. TMA is an emerging crisis that creates intersecting advocacy and legal issues across domestic violence, immigration, and human trafficking. This session defines TMA, provides case examples and strategies, and is a discussion space to improve advocacy for marginalized undocumented immigrant survivors, especially those located rurally.