H. R. 3244—54
(1) SECTION
40411.—Section 40411 of the Equal Justice
for Women in Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C 13991) is amended
by inserting ‘‘dating violence,’’ after ‘‘domestic violence,’’.
(2) SECTION 40412.—Section 40412 of such Act (42 U.S.C
13992) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (10), by inserting ‘‘and dating violence
(as defined in section 2003 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3996gg–
2))’’ before the semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (11), by inserting ‘‘and dating
violence’’ after ‘‘domestic violence’’;
(C) in paragraph (13), by inserting ‘‘and dating
violence’’ after ‘‘domestic violence’’ in both places that it
appears;
(D) in paragraph (17), by inserting ‘‘or dating violence’’
after ‘‘domestic violence’’ in both places that it appears;
and
(E) in paragraph (18), by inserting ‘‘and dating
violence’’ after ‘‘domestic violence’’.
SEC. 1407. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (108 Stat. 1902 et
seq.) (as amended by section 1209(a) of this division) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘Subtitle I—Domestic Violence Task Force
‘‘SEC. 40901. TASK FORCE.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISH.—The Attorney General, in consultation with
national nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations whose primary
expertise is in domestic violence, shall establish a task force to
coordinate research on domestic violence and to report to Congress
on any overlapping or duplication of efforts on domestic violence
issues. The task force shall be comprised of representatives from
all Federal agencies that fund such research.
‘‘(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Funds appropriated under this section
shall be used to—
‘‘(1) develop a coordinated strategy to strengthen research
focused on domestic violence education, prevention, and inter-
vention strategies;
‘‘(2) track and report all Federal research and expenditures
on domestic violence; and
‘‘(3) identify gaps and duplication of efforts in domestic
violence research and governmental expenditures on domestic
violence issues.
‘‘(c) REPORT.—The Task Force shall report to Congress annually
on its work under subsection (b).
‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the term
‘domestic violence’ has the meaning given such term by section
2003 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg–2(1)).
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000 for each
of fiscal years 2001 through 2004.’’.
H. R. 3244—55
TITLE V—BATTERED IMMIGRANT
WOMEN
SEC. 1501. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Battered Immigrant Women
Protection Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 1502. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) the goal of the immigration protections for battered
immigrants included in the Violence Against Women Act of
1994 was to remove immigration laws as a barrier that kept
battered immigrant women and children locked in abusive rela-
tionships;
(2) providing battered immigrant women and children who
were experiencing domestic violence at home with protection
against deportation allows them to obtain protection orders
against their abusers and frees them to cooperate with law
enforcement and prosecutors in criminal cases brought against
their abusers and the abusers of their children without fearing
that the abuser will retaliate by withdrawing or threatening
withdrawal of access to an immigration benefit under the
abuser’s control; and
(3) there are several groups of battered immigrant women
and children who do not have access to the immigration protec-
tions of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 which means
that their abusers are virtually immune from prosecution
because their victims can be deported as a result of action
by their abusers and the Immigration and Naturalization
Service cannot offer them protection no matter how compelling
their case under existing law.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this title are—
(1) to remove barriers to criminal prosecutions of persons
who commit acts of battery or extreme cruelty against
immigrant women and children; and
(2) to offer protection against domestic violence occurring
in family and intimate relationships that are covered in State
and tribal protection orders, domestic violence, and family law
statutes.
SEC. 1503. IMPROVED ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION PROTECTIONS OF THE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 1994 FOR BATTERED
IMMIGRANT WOMEN.
(a) INTENDED SPOUSE DEFINED.—Section 101(a) of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
‘‘(50) The term ‘intended spouse’ means any alien who meets
the criteria set forth in section 204(a)(1)(A)(iii)(II)(aa)(BB),
204(a)(1)(B)(ii)(II)(aa)(BB), or 240A(b)(2)(A)(i)(III).’’.
(b) IMMEDIATE RELATIVE STATUS FOR SELF-PETITIONERS MAR-
RIED TO U.S. CITIZENS.—
(1) SELF-PETITIONING SPOUSES.—
(A) BATTERY OR CRUELTY TO ALIEN OR ALIEN’S CHILD.—
Section 204(a)(1)(A)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(A)(iii)) is amended to read as fol-
lows:
H. R. 3244—56
‘‘(iii)(I) An alien who is described in subclause (II) may file
a petition with the Attorney General under this clause for classifica-
tion of the alien (and any child of the alien) if the alien demonstrates
to the Attorney General that—
‘‘(aa) the marriage or the intent to marry the United States
citizen was entered into in good faith by the alien; and
‘‘(bb) during the marriage or relationship intended by the
alien to be legally a marriage, the alien or a child of the
alien has been battered or has been the subject of extreme
cruelty perpetrated by the alien’s spouse or intended spouse.
‘‘(II) For purposes of subclause (I), an alien described in this
subclause is an alien—
‘‘(aa)(AA) who is the spouse of a citizen of the United
States;
‘‘(BB) who believed that he or she had married a citizen
of the United States and with whom a marriage ceremony
was actually performed and who otherwise meets any applicable
requirements under this Act to establish the existence of and
bona fides of a marriage, but whose marriage is not legitimate
solely because of the bigamy of such citizen of the United
States; or
‘‘(CC) who was a bona fide spouse of a United States
citizen within the past 2 years and—
‘‘(aaa) whose spouse died within the past 2 years;
‘‘(bbb) whose spouse lost or renounced citizenship
status within the past 2 years related to an incident of
domestic violence; or
‘‘(ccc) who demonstrates a connection between the legal
termination of the marriage within the past 2 years and
battering or extreme cruelty by the United States citizen
spouse;
‘‘(bb) who is a person of good moral character;
‘‘(cc) who is eligible to be classified as an immediate relative
under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) or who would have been so classi-
fied but for the bigamy of the citizen of the United States
that the alien intended to marry; and
‘‘(dd) who has resided with the alien’s spouse or intended
spouse.’’.
(2) SELF-PETITIONING CHILDREN.—Section 204(a)(1)(A)(iv) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(A)(iv))
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(iv) An alien who is the child of a citizen of the United
States, or who was a child of a United States citizen parent who
within the past 2 years lost or renounced citizenship status related
to an incident of domestic violence, and who is a person of good
moral character, who is eligible to be classified as an immediate
relative under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), and who resides, or has
resided in the past, with the citizen parent may file a petition
with the Attorney General under this subparagraph for classifica-
tion of the alien (and any child of the alien) under such section
if the alien demonstrates to the Attorney General that the alien
has been battered by or has been the subject of extreme cruelty
perpetrated by the alien’s citizen parent. For purposes of this clause,
residence includes any period of visitation.’’.
(3) FILING
OF
PETITIONS.—Section 204(a)(1)(A) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(A)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
H. R. 3244—57
‘‘(v) An alien who—
‘‘(I) is the spouse, intended spouse, or child living abroad
of a citizen who—
‘‘(aa) is an employee of the United States Government;
‘‘(bb) is a member of the uniformed services (as defined
in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code); or
‘‘(cc) has subjected the alien or the alien’s child to
battery or extreme cruelty in the United States; and
‘‘(II) is eligible to file a petition under clause (iii) or (iv),
shall file such petition with the Attorney General under the proce-
dures that apply to self-petitioners under clause (iii) or (iv), as
applicable.’’.
(c) SECOND PREFERENCE IMMIGRATION STATUS FOR SELF-PETI-
TIONERS MARRIED TO LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENTS.—
(1) SELF-PETITIONING SPOUSES.—Section 204(a)(1)(B)(ii) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(B)(ii))
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(ii)(I) An alien who is described in subclause (II) may file
a petition with the Attorney General under this clause for classifica-
tion of the alien (and any child of the alien) if such a child has
not been classified under clause (iii) of section 203(a)(2)(A) and
if the alien demonstrates to the Attorney General that—
‘‘(aa) the marriage or the intent to marry the lawful perma-
nent resident was entered into in good faith by the alien;
and
‘‘(bb) during the marriage or relationship intended by the
alien to be legally a marriage, the alien or a child of the
alien has been battered or has been the subject of extreme
cruelty perpetrated by the alien’s spouse or intended spouse.
‘‘(II) For purposes of subclause (I), an alien described in this
paragraph is an alien—
‘‘(aa)(AA) who is the spouse of a lawful permanent resident
of the United States; or
‘‘(BB) who believed that he or she had married a lawful
permanent resident of the United States and with whom a
marriage ceremony was actually performed and who otherwise
meets any applicable requirements under this Act to establish
the existence of and bona fides of a marriage, but whose mar-
riage is not legitimate solely because of the bigamy of such
lawful permanent resident of the United States; or
‘‘(CC) who was a bona fide spouse of a lawful permanent
resident within the past 2 years and—
‘‘(aaa) whose spouse lost status within the past 2 years
due to an incident of domestic violence; or
‘‘(bbb) who demonstrates a connection between the
legal termination of the marriage within the past 2 years
and battering or extreme cruelty by the lawful permanent
resident spouse;
‘‘(bb) who is a person of good moral character;
‘‘(cc) who is eligible to be classified as a spouse of an
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence under section
203(a)(2)(A) or who would have been so classified but for the
bigamy of the lawful permanent resident of the United States
that the alien intended to marry; and
‘‘(dd) who has resided with the alien’s spouse or intended
spouse.’’.
H. R. 3244—58
(2) SELF-PETITIONING
CHILDREN.—Section 204(a)(1)(B)(iii)
of 
the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C.
1154(a)(1)(B)(iii)) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(iii) An alien who is the child of an alien lawfully admitted
for permanent residence, or who was the child of a lawful permanent
resident who within the past 2 years lost lawful permanent resident
status due to an incident of domestic violence, and who is a person
of good moral character, who is eligible for classification under
section 203(a)(2)(A), and who resides, or has resided in the past,
with the alien’s permanent resident alien parent may file a petition
with the Attorney General under this subparagraph for classifica-
tion of the alien (and any child of the alien) under such section
if the alien demonstrates to the Attorney General that the alien
has been battered by or has been the subject of extreme cruelty
perpetrated by the alien’s permanent resident parent.’’.
(3) FILING
OF
PETITIONS.—Section 204(a)(1)(B) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(B)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(iv) An alien who—
‘‘(I) is the spouse, intended spouse, or child living abroad
of a lawful permanent resident who—
‘‘(aa) is an employee of the United States Government;
‘‘(bb) is a member of the uniformed services (as defined
in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code); or
‘‘(cc) has subjected the alien or the alien’s child to
battery or extreme cruelty in the United States; and
‘‘(II) is eligible to file a petition under clause (ii) or (iii),
shall file such petition with the Attorney General under the proce-
dures that apply to self-petitioners under clause (ii) or (iii), as
applicable.’’.
(d) GOOD MORAL CHARACTER DETERMINATIONS FOR SELF-PETI-
TIONERS AND TREATMENT OF CHILD SELF-PETITIONERS AND PETI-
TIONS INCLUDING DERIVATIVE CHILDREN ATTAINING 21 YEARS OF
AGE.—Section 204(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through (H) as
subparagraphs (E) through (J), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
‘‘(C) Notwithstanding section 101(f ), an act or conviction that
is waivable with respect to the petitioner for purposes of a deter-
mination of the petitioner’s admissibility under section 212(a) or
deportability under section 237(a) shall not bar the Attorney Gen-
eral from finding the petitioner to be of good moral character
under subparagraph (A)(iii), (A)(iv), (B)(ii), or (B)(iii) if the Attorney
General finds that the act or conviction was connected to the alien’s
having been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty.
‘‘(D)(i)(I) Any child who attains 21 years of age who has filed
a petition under clause (iv) of section 204(a)(1)(A) that was filed
or approved before the date on which the child attained 21 years
of age shall be considered (if the child has not been admitted
or approved for lawful permanent residence by the date the child
attained 21 years of age) a petitioner for preference status under
paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 203(a), whichever paragraph
is applicable, with the same priority date assigned to the self-
petition filed under clause (iv) of section 204(a)(1)(A). No new peti-
tion shall be required to be filed.
H. R. 3244—59
‘‘(II) Any individual described in subclause (I) is eligible for
deferred action and work authorization.
‘‘(III) Any derivative child who attains 21 years of age who
is included in a petition described in clause (ii) that was filed
or approved before the date on which the child attained 21 years
of age shall be considered (if the child has not been admitted
or approved for lawful permanent residence by the date the child
attained 21 years of age) a petitioner for preference status under
paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 203(a), whichever paragraph
is applicable, with the same priority date as that assigned to the
petitioner in any petition described in clause (ii). No new petition
shall be required to be filed.
‘‘(IV) Any individual described in subclause (III) and any deriva-
tive child of a petition described in clause (ii) is eligible for deferred
action and work authorization.
‘‘(ii) The petition referred to in clause (i)(III) is a petition
filed by an alien under subparagraph (A)(iii), (A)(iv), (B)(ii) or
(B)(iii) in which the child is included as a derivative beneficiary.’’;
and
(3) in subparagraph (J) (as so redesignated), by inserting
‘‘or in making determinations under subparagraphs (C) and
(D),’’ after ‘‘subparagraph (B),’’.
(e) ACCESS
TO NATURALIZATION
FOR DIVORCED VICTIMS
OF
ABUSE.—Section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1430(a)) is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘, or any person who obtained status as
a lawful permanent resident by reason of his or her status
as a spouse or child of a United States citizen who battered
him or her or subjected him or her to extreme cruelty,’’ after
‘‘United States’’ the first place such term appears; and
(2) by inserting ‘‘(except in the case of a person who has
been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by a United
States citizen spouse or parent)’’ after ‘‘has been living in mar-
ital union with the citizen spouse’’.
SEC. 1504. IMPROVED ACCESS TO CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL AND
SUSPENSION OF DEPORTATION UNDER THE VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 1994.
(a) CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL AND ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS
FOR CERTAIN NONPERMANENT RESIDENTS.—Section 240A(b)(2) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(2)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE FOR BATTERED SPOUSE OR CHILD.—
‘‘(A) AUTHORITY.—The Attorney General may cancel
removal of, and adjust to the status of an alien lawfully
admitted for permanent residence, an alien who is inadmis-
sible or deportable from the United States if the alien
demonstrates that—
‘‘(i)(I) the alien has been battered or subjected
to extreme cruelty by a spouse or parent who is or
was a United States citizen (or is the parent of a
child of a United States citizen and the child has
been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by such
citizen parent);
‘‘(II) the alien has been battered or subjected to
extreme cruelty by a spouse or parent who is or was
a lawful permanent resident (or is the parent of a
H. R. 3244—60
child of an alien who is or was a lawful permanent
resident and the child has been battered or subjected
to extreme cruelty by such permanent resident parent);
or
‘‘(III) the alien has been battered or subjected to
extreme cruelty by a United States citizen or lawful
permanent resident whom the alien intended to marry,
but whose marriage is not legitimate because of that
United States citizen’s or lawful permanent resident’s
bigamy;
‘‘(ii) the alien has been physically present in the
United States for a continuous period of not less than
3 years immediately preceding the date of such applica-
tion, and the issuance of a charging document for
removal proceedings shall not toll the 3-year period
of continuous physical presence in the United States;
‘‘(iii) the alien has been a person of good moral
character during such period, subject to the provisions
of subparagraph (C);
‘‘(iv) the alien is not inadmissible under paragraph
(2) or (3) of section 212(a), is not deportable under
paragraphs (1)(G) or (2) through (4) of section 237(a)
(except in a case described in section 237(a)(7) where
the Attorney General exercises discretion to grant a
waiver), and has not been convicted of an aggravated
felony; and
‘‘(v) the removal would result in extreme hardship
to the alien, the alien’s child, or the alien’s parent.
‘‘(B) PHYSICAL PRESENCE.—Notwithstanding subsection
(d)(2), for purposes of subparagraph (A)(i)(II) or for pur-
poses of section 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title III–
A effective date in section 309 of the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996), an alien
shall not be considered to have failed to maintain contin-
uous physical presence by reason of an absence if the
alien demonstrates a connection between the absence and
the battering or extreme cruelty perpetrated against the
alien. No absence or portion of an absence connected to
the battering or extreme cruelty shall count toward the
90-day or 180-day limits established in subsection (d)(2).
If any absence or aggregate absences exceed 180 days,
the absences or portions of the absences will not be consid-
ered to break the period of continuous presence. Any such
period of time excluded from the 180-day limit shall be
excluded in computing the time during which the alien
has been physically present for purposes of the 3-year
requirement set forth in section 240A(b)(2)(B) and section
244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title III–A effective date
in section 309 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996).
‘‘(C) GOOD MORAL CHARACTER.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 101(f ), an act or conviction that does not bar the
Attorney General from granting relief under this paragraph
by reason of subparagraph (A)(iv) shall not bar the Attorney
General from finding the alien to be of good moral character
under subparagraph (A)(i)(III) or section 244(a)(3) (as in
effect before the title III–A effective date in section 309
H. R. 3244—61
of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsi-
bility Act of 1996), if the Attorney General finds that the
act or conviction was connected to the alien’s having been
battered or subjected to extreme cruelty and determines
that a waiver is otherwise warranted.
‘‘(D) CREDIBLE EVIDENCE CONSIDERED.—In acting on
applications under this paragraph, the Attorney General
shall consider any credible evidence relevant to the applica-
tion. The determination of what evidence is credible and
the weight to be given that evidence shall be within the
sole discretion of the Attorney General.’’.
(b) CHILDREN OF BATTERED ALIENS AND PARENTS OF BATTERED
ALIEN CHILDREN.—Section 240A(b) of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
‘‘(4) CHILDREN OF BATTERED ALIENS AND PARENTS OF BAT-
TERED ALIEN CHILDREN.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall grant
parole under section 212(d)(5) to any alien who is a—
‘‘(i) child of an alien granted relief under section
240A(b)(2) or 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title
III–A effective date in section 309 of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
of 1996); or
‘‘(ii) parent of a child alien granted relief under
section 240A(b)(2) or 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the
title III–A effective date in section 309 of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
of 1996).
‘‘(B) DURATION OF PAROLE.—The grant of parole shall
extend from the time of the grant of relief under section
240A(b)(2) or section 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title
III–A effective date in section 309 of the Illegal Immigration
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996) to the
time the application for adjustment of status filed by aliens
covered under this paragraph has been finally adjudicated.
Applications for adjustment of status filed by aliens covered
under this paragraph shall be treated as if they were
applications filed under section 204(a)(1) (A)(iii), (A)(iv),
(B)(ii), or (B)(iii) for purposes of section 245 (a) and (c).
Failure by the alien granted relief under section 240A(b)(2)
or section 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title III–A effec-
tive date in section 309 of the Illegal Immigration Reform
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996) to exercise due
diligence in filing a visa petition on behalf of an alien
described in clause (i) or (ii) may result in revocation of
parole.’’.
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Any individual who becomes eligible for
relief by reason of the enactment of the amendments made by
subsections (a) and (b), shall be eligible to file a motion to reopen
pursuant to section 240(c)(6)(C)(iv). The amendments made by sub-
sections (a) and (b) shall take effect as if included in the enactment
of section 304 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–208; 110 Stat. 587).
Such portions of the amendments made by subsection (b) that
relate to section 244(a)(3) (as in effect before the title III–A effective
date in section 309 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and
H. R. 3244—62
Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996) shall take effect as if included
in subtitle G of title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law
Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–322; 108 Stat. 1953
et seq.).
SEC. 1505. OFFERING EQUAL ACCESS TO IMMIGRATION PROTECTIONS
OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 1994 FOR
ALL 
QUALIFIED 
BATTERED 
IMMIGRANT 
SELF-PETI-
TIONERS.
(a) BATTERED IMMIGRANT WAIVER.—Section 212(a)(9)(C)(ii) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(C)(ii))
is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Attorney
General in the Attorney General’s discretion may waive the provi-
sions of section 212(a)(9)(C)(i) in the case of an alien to whom
the Attorney General has granted classification under clause (iii),
(iv), or (v) of section 204(a)(1)(A), or classification under clause
(ii), (iii), or (iv) of section 204(a)(1)(B), in any case in which there
is a connection between—
‘‘(1) the alien’s having been battered or subjected to extreme
cruelty; and
‘‘(2) the alien’s—
‘‘(A) removal;
‘‘(B) departure from the United States;
‘‘(C) reentry or reentries into the United States; or
‘‘(D) attempted reentry into the United States.’’.
(b) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM WAIVER.—
(1) WAIVER FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—Section
237(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1227(a))
is amended by inserting at the end the following:
‘‘(7) WAIVER FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is not limited
by the criminal court record and may waive the application
of paragraph (2)(E)(i) (with respect to crimes of domestic
violence and crimes of stalking) and (ii) in the case of
an alien who has been battered or subjected to extreme
cruelty and who is not and was not the primary perpetrator
of violence in the relationship—
‘‘(i) upon a determination that—
‘‘(I) the alien was acting is self-defense;
‘‘(II) the alien was found to have violated a
protection order intended to protect the alien; or
‘‘(III) the alien committed, was arrested for,
was convicted of, or pled guilty to committing a
crime—
‘‘(aa) that did not result in serious bodily
injury; and
‘‘(bb) where there was a connection
between the crime and the alien’s having been
battered or subjected to extreme cruelty.
‘‘(B) CREDIBLE EVIDENCE CONSIDERED.—In acting on
applications under this paragraph, the Attorney General
shall consider any credible evidence relevant to the applica-
tion. The determination of what evidence is credible and
the weight to be given that evidence shall be within the
sole discretion of the Attorney General.’’.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 240A(b)(1)(C) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1)(C)) is