IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 987 

Condemning the Attorney General’s decision in ‘‘Matter of A-B-’’ seeking 

to declare domestic violence and gang violence as invalid grounds for 

seeking asylum. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 11, 2018 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. BEYER, Ms. LEE, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. 

DINGELL, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. WELCH, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. MOORE, 

Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 

MENG, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 

HASTINGS, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. COHEN, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. CARSON of 

Indiana, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. LEWIS of 

Georgia, Ms. MATSUI, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mrs. 

LAWRENCE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. PETERS, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. GENE GREEN

of Texas, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 

PALLONE, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. 

BEN RAY LUJA ́N of New Mexico, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. RASKIN, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. 

SCHIFF, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. RUSH, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. 

VEASEY, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SOTO, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Ms. 

JUDY CHU of California, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. KILMER, 

Mr. NOLAN, Mrs. TORRES, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. GRIJALVA, 

Mr. SERRANO, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, 

and Ms. KELLY of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the Attorney General’s decision in ‘‘Matter of 


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•HRES 987 IH 

A-B-’’ seeking to declare domestic violence and gang 

violence as invalid grounds for seeking asylum. 

Whereas violence against women, and particularly domestic 

violence, around the world is a violation of human rights 

and an issue of public health; 

Whereas the World Health Organization has estimated that 

about 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced either 

physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence; 

Whereas the World Health Organization has estimated that 

almost one-third, 30 percent, of women who have been in 

a relationship report that they have experienced some 

form of physical or sexual violence by their intimate partner in their lifetime; 

Whereas according to the World Health Organization, as 

many as 38 percent of murders of women globally are 

committed by a male intimate partner; 

Whereas according to a United Nations Global Study on 

Homicide, of all female victims of homicide around the 

world in 2012, half were estimated to have been killed by 

intimate partners or family members; 

Whereas the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a report in July of 

2014 titled, ‘‘Children on the Run,’’ detailing the violence 

faced in home countries by children who flee to the 

United States; 

Whereas the UNHCR report includes many testimonials of 

those impacted by gang violence in Central America, including Kevin, a 17-year-old boy from Honduras, who recounted ‘‘My grandmother . . . told me: ‘If you don’t 

join, the gang will shoot you. If you do join, the rival 


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•HRES 987 IH 

gang will shoot you—or the cops will shoot you. But if 

you leave, no one will shoot you.’ ’’; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions, on June 11, 2018, 

issued a decision in ‘‘Matter of A-B-’’ overturning the 

Board of Immigration Appeals decision in ‘‘Matter of AR-C-G-’’; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision seeks to declare 

domestic violence and gang violence as invalid grounds 

for seeking asylum; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision will condemn 

thousands of domestic violence victims to removal to dangerous situations where they are at significant risk of losing their lives; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision goes against the 

decisions of previous Attorneys Generals serving Administrations of both parties; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision is one part of 

a larger, intentional, and cruel scheme by the Trump Administration to dismantle the United States asylum system; 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision does not reflect 

the values or spirit of the United States; and 

Whereas Attorney General Sessions’ decision must be reversed at the earliest possible opportunity: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns Attorney General Sessions’ deci3 sion in ‘‘Matter of A-B-’’ seeking to declare domestic 


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1 violence and gang violence as invalid grounds for 

2 seeking asylum; 

3 (2) identifies Attorney General Sessions’ deci4 sion as the next cruel step in the Trump Adminis5 tration’s intentional and cruel scheme to dismantle 

6 the United States asylum system; 

7 (3) recognizes Attorney General Sessions’ deci8 sion will condemn thousands of domestic violence 

9 victims to removal to dangerous situations where 

10 they are at significant risk of losing their lives; and 

11 (4) remains actively committed to reconsti12 tuting, preserving, and defending asylum laws that 

13 allows victims of domestic violence to seek life-saving 

14 refuge and protection in the United States. 

Æ 


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