Domestic violence hotline: Immigration-linked calls increase

The nation’s most prominent domestic violence hotline reports a sharp increase in calls from abuse victims struggling with issues related to their immigration status. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, established by Congress in 1996 and partly reliant on federal funding, says in its newly released annual report that it responded to 323,660 phone calls, texts and online contacts in 2016. Of these calls, 7,053 evoked immigration-related issues — up nearly 30 percent from 2015. Katie Ray-J…
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New York lawmakers are hoping to battle deadly MS-13 gang violence with a proposal that could keep gang members behind bars longer. The Republican-led Senate approved a bill Monday to increase penalties for crimes connected to street gangs and create new crimes for gang involvement. Supporters say the bill is especially necessary in light of a string of killings on Long Island this year of mostly young people. At least 11 violent deaths since September in blue-collar communities Brentwood and C…
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