Since 2019, Lebanon has suffered one of the worst economic collapses in world history. Its currency has lost 90% of its value, inflation has sky-rocketed and electricity, medication and fuel…
Her family fled violence in Iraq. Now this woman helps other refugees in Fort Worth
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 4 hrs ago Lauren Castle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Jul. 11 FORT WORTH Marwa Al Ibrahim never imagined she would be living in the United States.
But violence in Iraq forced her to apply for refugee status. Her father lost one of his arms from a sticky bomb. Her anxiety over the safety of her young son and husband grew. I felt like death was approaching, Al Ibrahim, 35, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram while holding her one-year-old daughter in their home.
In 2014, Al Ibrahim and her family became among the thousands of refugees who have resettled in the United States. For some like Al Ibrahim, the Fort Worth area is now their new home giving them hopes of better opportunities and a safe place.
Clemency for trafficking survivors
One year ago this weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the establishment of a “customized clemency application specifically for survivors of human trafficking or domestic violence.”
Created in coordination with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the application included a new section allowing applicants to “provide a statement to BPP about their human trafficking or domestic violence victimization.”
We applauded the governor’s initiative then, as we do now. At that time, we’d been calling on Abbott and the parole board to create such a process, what the governor has rightly called “a true path to redemption and restoration,” for more than a year.
Survivors of sex trafficking are not criminals
Texas is taking important steps to identify victims and move them toward recovery.
Michael Hogue/DMN Staff
By Bekah Charleston, Robbie Hamilton, Bianca Jackson, Janet Jensen, Natalie Nanasi and Jessica Brazeal
1:30 AM on Jan 24, 2021 CST
Last February, this newspaper rightly praised Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to create a pathway to clemency for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence whose crimes resulted from their victimization. With this action, Abbott has made it possible for survivors to heal from their trauma without the crushing burden of a conviction preventing them from accessing safe housing, securing gainful employment, supporting their children, and establishing a new life. We are proud of Texas for blazing a path forward for survivors.