vawa

A group of husbands filed suit against the United States and other U.S. officials, challenging the validity of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In particular, they were challenging the portion that permitted aliens who had been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by their spouses to self-petition for legal permanent resident status. The plaintiffs claimed this created an incentive for their wives and ex-wives to file false police complaints and false applications for temporary restraining orders against them.

A landlord sought to evict a survivor of domestic violence from her apartment, alleging nuisance in violation of the lease. The woman was the only person on the lease. Her landlord’s nuisance claim was based on a fight that had occurred between her and her husband. The woman moved for summary judgment based on the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (“VAWA 2005”).