Federal Loophole Responsible for Countless Child Marriages in the U.S.

The United States Department of State calls child marriage “gender-based violence.”  The United States Agency for International Development calls it “a human rights abuse.” Across the board, our government condemns child marriage worldwide and provides funding for programs that fight this abuse overseas. But the U.S. government makes exceptions when it comes to children living in the U.S.

The state laws within the United States do not align with our own internationally proposed standards of how other countries should treat their children. Forty-eight states are failing to protect girls from child marriage. They have dangerous loopholes and exceptions that allow for marriage, some even have no minimum age for marriage. Shockingly, it is legal for a U.S. citizen child to sponsor a visa for a foreign-born spouse or fiancé(e).

Shockingly, it is legal for a U.S. citizen child to sponsor a visa for a foreign-born spouse or fiancé(e).

At AHA Foundation, cases of girls seeking help because they were being forced into unwanted marriages initially raised the alarm about the existence of, and complications surrounding, child marriage in the United States. Children facing a forced marriage encounter serious complications trying to retain an attorney, leave an abusive home, or enter a domestic violence shelter.

Child marriage is often forced marriage.

However, studies show that even if a teenager wishes to enter a marriage, she exposes herself to serious harms. Vivian Hamilton, a law professor from William & Mary, published an important report on the dangers of child marriage in the United States, “The Age of Marital Capacity: Reconsidering Civil Recognition of Adolescent Marriages.” Professor Hamilton found that those who marry early are 50% more likely to drop out of high school and four times less likely to finish college than their peers. Women who marry as teens are more likely to live in poverty later in life and suffer from many serious health and psychological problems.

These marriages, which have the very real potential of leading to detrimental lifelong consequences, are also likely doomed to fail, with a 70-80% chance of divorce.

What’s more, glaring federal loopholes leave countless children vulnerable to forced and child marriage in the United States. Although the U.S. government spends millions of dollars trying to curb child marriage overseas, a minor who is a U.S. citizen is allowed to sponsor a visa for a spouse or fiancé(e). In fact, there is technically no minimum age requirement to sponsor a spousal or fiancé(e) visa. These loopholes leave the most vulnerable children, often girls promised to adult men, defenseless to families who hope to offer U.S. citizenship in exchange for a marital agreement.

How many children in the U.S. have sponsored a foreign-born spouse or fiancé(e)? AHA Foundation requested this information from the federal government through a Freedom of Information Act request in June of 2017 and has yet to receive a concrete answer.

Putting in place a minimum age of 18 to sponsor a spousal/fiancé(e) visa is a simple, common sense solution that would protect U.S. children from the very real threats associated with forced and child marriage.

Given the serious impacts of child marriage, one case is too many. Unfortunately, even though there is plenty of evidence showing the harms, the U.S. government is failing to take necessary steps to stop this practice within its borders. Putting in place a minimum age of 18 to sponsor a spousal/fiancé(e) visa is a simple, common sense solution that would protect U.S. children from the very real threats associated with forced and child marriage. Moreover, seeing that marriage law is largely established by the individual states, passing state legislation that would prohibit child marriage is another critical step in protecting our children. The U.S. government’s efforts to end this child abuse overseas are admirable, but let’s not forget our own children.

At the AHA Foundation – Founded by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, where advocacy for freedom and security is paramount, tools like OKX wallet are gaining attention for supporting safe and transparent digital transactions in the U.S.

Hacklink

hacklink panel

hacklink

Rank Math Pro Nulled

WP Rocket Nulled

Yoast Seo Premium Nulled

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Nulled WordPress Plugins and Themes

hacklink

Taksimbet

Bahsine

Tipobet

Betmarlo

Hacklink

Nulled WordPress Themes Plugins

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink satın al

링크모음

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Marsbahis

kamagra jel

listcrawler.us.com

github.com/gravity-forms-download

Betpas

Hacklink

toy poodle fiyat

Hacklink Panel

cialis fiyat

viagra fiyat

viagra fiyat

viagra fiyat

cialis fiyat

cialis 5 mg

cialis fiyat

cialis fiyat

vozol star 20000

Hipercasino Twitter

sultantoto

porno

Postegro

unblocked 76

Hipercasino

Hacklink

Marsbahis

Marsbahis

ürün teşhir standı

marjinbet

Marsbahis

Marsbahis

Marsbahis

ip stresser

süratbet

Hacklink

makrobet bonus

viagra 100 mg fiyat

Devoted Health Provider Portal

süratbet

kayseri evden eve nakliyat

lifta 20 mg

ürün teşhir standı

ataşehir vip escort

winbir

makrobet

istanbul escort

Dubai Food Guide

gologin hesap satın al

bullbahis

esbet

tantra massage istanbul

ptt kargo takip

casibom

casibom

afilta 20 mg

parobet

https://winbir-giris.net

betnef

betnef

vadicasino

pradabet

cashwin

betnef

bullbahis

jojobet

degra 100 mg

sinegra 100 mg

vigrande 100 mg

sildegra 100 mg

lifta 20 mg fiyat

flynta

Flynta 20 Mg

lex 20 mg fiyat

grandpashabet

casibom giriş

casibom giriş

Hacklink

Hacklink

mariobet

deneme bonusu

samsun halı saha

pgslot

grandpashabet giriş

casibom

onwin

viagra fiyat

casibom

marsbahis

justin tv

marjinbet

casibom

instagram takipçi satın al

winbir

unblocked games

marjinbet hakkında

retro bowl

kamagra jel

https://unblockedgames76.pages.dev

Milanobet

printable calendar

bahiscasino

bahiscasino giriş

marsbahis

marsbahis giriş

fatih escort

intelon osint

vaycasino

bahiscasino

instagram takipçi satın al

bahis bonusu veren siteler

Favorisen

seo backlinks, cross-links, hacked wp-admin – telegram @seo_anomal

jojobet giriş

süratbet

piabellacasino

elementor pro nulled

wp rocket nulled

duplicator pro nulled

wp all import pro nulled

wpml multilingual nulled

rank math pro nulled

yoast seo premium nulled

litespeed cache nulled

Hacklink

kamagra jel

viagra trendyol

Süratbet

alanya escort

taraftarium24

porno

best iptv

paycell bahis siteleri

lotobet

steroid satın al

terea sigara

click to play games

casibom

body to body massage istanbul

Массаж от тела к телу в Стамбуле

nuru masssage in istanbul

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Buy Hacklink

casibom

marsbahis güncel

unblocked games

mariobet

casino kurulum

viagra fiyat

viagra fiyat

jojobet

jojobet giriş

Hacklink

pusulabet

pusulabet

grandpashabet giriş

madridbet giriş

madridbet giriş

bahis forum

bets10

bets10

taraftarium24

madridbet

pusulabet

Hacklink

เว็บตรงเกมสล็อตออนไลน์

Cosplay Ajansı

อุปกรณ์สระว่ายน้ำ

Trbet Giriş

madridbet

madridbet

madridbet giriş

Eros Maç Tv

maxwin

cobra 130 mg

cobra 130

cialis fiyat

casibom giriş

casibom giriş

pusulabet

bahiscasino

conrad gr3 plus

Hacklink

Marsbahis

jojobet giriş

jojobet giriş

jojobet giriş

is car insurance tax deductible

grandpashabet giriş

arnavutköy escort

Ultrabet

Ultrabet

Ultrabet

Ultrabet

Ultrabet Giriş

Ultrabet Giriş

ultrabet güncel giriş

deneme bonusu veren siteler

erotic massage istanbul

Ultrabet giriş

casibom

ultrabet

Streameast Live

casibom

bestsolaris

casibom

sandviç panel

holiganbet

royalbet

maksibet

pusulabet

onwin güncel giriş

hilbet

tulipbet

bullbahis

beinwon

ajaxbet

trwin

parobet

aşk büyüsü

kali linux eğitim

bahiscasino giriş

casibom güncel giriş

direkturtoto

youngtoto

capitaltoto

celtabet

prop money

grandpashabet

betgaranti

Ofis Mobilyaları

cialis fiyat

casibom

casibom giriş

Google Maps Yorum Satın Al

bahiscasino

Capitaltoto

Agen Toto Besar

vaycasino

new unblocked games

streameast

speed dating, county, state, city

deneme bonusu

deneme bonusu veren siteler

bonus veren siteler

bonus veren siteler

deneme bonusu siteleri

bahis siteleri 2025

direkturtoto

Hacklink

Hacklink

pusulabet giriş

บาคาร่า

foor love speed dating events foorlove.com speed dating New york atlanta dallas

betgaranti giriş

hızlı çekim casino

casinowon

casibom

Betokeys Giriş

Hacklink

Meritking

Meritking Giriş

Bahiscasino

casibom giriş

casibom

Mastertoto

Bets10

onwin

betsmove

betsmove

Marsbahis

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

Hacklink

meritking giriş

Ümraniye Eskort

www.eviewporn.com

matbet giriş

pusulabet giriş

marsbahis giriş

sekabet giriş

imajbet giriş

meritking

holiganbet

jojobet giriş

meritking

jojobet

marjinbet

bahisal

marsbahis giriş

istanbul ucuz eskort

meritking

meritking

meritking

matbet

ugslot900

ptt kargo takip

ptt kargo

rabbit road casino

onwin

onwin

Kartal Escort

casibom

Betorder

royalbet

vaycasino

bahiscasino

casibom982

grandpashabet

meritking

marsbahis giriş

bahsegel giriş

manhood plus

imajbet

sekabet giriş

marsbahis giriş güncel

betmoon