She had scars. She believed that in the event she were to have gone to the police in Bangladesh for protection, that they would not have protected her, and that if returned to Bangladesh that her husband would kill her. There are reported cases of spousal abuse within the Armenian community. Women are able to break free of such relationships now by prevailing in the context of asylum, as well as petitions made to the INS specifically designed for women married to U.S. citizen or permanent resident batterers. The immigration laws of the United States typically do not target a particular nationality.
Most immigration laws apply across the board.
The circumstances of individuals, or groups of people with common characteristics such as a nationality or gender, however, can affect the result. There are many contexts within which this differentiation can be of benefit to Armenian women. Ms. Yardum-Hunter has been exclusively practicing immigration law to the United States for 17 years. She is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law, and has also studied law at the University of Salzburg, Austria, and the University of Paris, France. She has spoken before attorney, paralegal students and lay audiences.