What are my rights if I'm married to a U.S. Citizen that is verbally abusing me. I'm not resident yet?

We have applied for residency. The problem is that I cannot speak up for myself, he is always threating me with a separation or sending me back to my country if I do something that he doesn't like, stuff that a normal person would resolve by talking. But that is not my case What are my rights as a wife? when he gets angry is hostile and makes me feel like an intruder in what is suppossed to be my home. I don't know what to do, Please help me.