Protect Women from Abuse: Support the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act

Dear Representative,

I live in CITY, STATE, and I have become increasingly concerned with the issue of human trafficking, particularly as it affects women and girls, around the world and in my own neighborhood. I am writing to urge you to support the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA), H.R.3657.

Many women in poor countries are so desperate for security and a better life that they are willing to use international marriage brokers to find a stable home. But the marketing practices of many international marriage brokers attract predatory abusers with a history of violence against women and children. As a result, women seeking better lives in our country are being abused, even murdered, by the men they meet through the online brokers.

IMBRA aims to safeguard these women from becoming easy prey by:

§ Prohibiting an international marriage broker from recruiting girls under age 18;
§ Requiring that before brokers release a woman’s contact information to a person, they must provide her with a copy of the background collected on that person, advise her of the rights and resources available to domestic violence victims in the U.S. in written form, and obtain her written consent to release her contact information;
§ Requiring that the criminal background check that the Department of Homeland Security conducts on Americans petitioning for a foreign fiancée or spousal visa be shared with the foreign fiancée or spouse; and
§ Halting the practice of Americans simultaneously seeking visas for multiple fiancées.

Each year alone, approximately 14,500 to17,500 people are trafficked into the United States. And a staggering 80% of trafficking victims are women and girls. IMBRA would go a long way toward addressing the specific problem of trafficking through international marriage brokers. I urge you to support IMBRA when it comes to a full vote in the House.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your address]