Do female undocumented immigrants have a lower reporting rate for sexual assault and domestic violence offences against them due to fear of deportation?

 Following this outline: Research Paper Outline I) Introduction a) Question: Do undocumented immigrants have a lower reporting rate for sexual assault and domestic violence offences against them because fear of deportation? b) Domestic violence and sexual assault are major problems affecting immigrants in the United States, however those without stable and permanent legal status are more affected. This study is critical in analyzing the reporting rates of illegal immigrants who suffer from crimes of domestic violence and sexual assault. II) Reporting Rates of Illegal Immigrants for DV and Sexual Assault a) Positives to reporting i) Application for U Visa (1) Victims who can prove they have been victims of abuse for crimes such as domestic violence and sexual assault are allowed to apply for a Victim of Criminal Activity U Visa. (2) Eligibility (a) You have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of criminal activity. (b) You have information about the criminal activity. If you are under the age of 16 or unable to provide information due to a disability, a parent, guardian, or next friend may possess the information about the crime on your behalf. (c) You were helpful, are helpful, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. If you are under the age of 16 or unable to provide information due to a disability, a parent, guardian, or next friend may assist law enforcement on your behalf. (d) The crime occurred in the United States or violated U.S. laws. b) Negatives to reporting i) Fear of deportation (1) In Houston alone, there was a 16% drop in crime reporting for domestic violence amongst the Hispanic community. Statistics have been provided information showing that there is a fear of deportation from many victims of these crimes. III) Examples and Statistics a) The statistics will be drawn from southern states that border Mexico focusing on the crime rates and reporting statistics of the victims of these crimes. Evaluating the comparison of population present in each state and the reporting rates of the domestic violence and sexual assault crimes for the international community. IV) Conclusion a) This section is going to draw together all of the statistics and data to explain either the increase or decrease in reporting rates in an attempt to prove either there is a fear of deportation for victims of crimes or not.