CLINIC highlights Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The mission of the anti-domestic violence work that CLINIC is involved in helps to increase capacity that allows newly accredited representatives to serve more immigrant survivors of violence who are isolated and living in rural communities. Often, these survivors do not have access to transportation, language access or assistance. Regularizing the status of survivors helps create healthy residents who can fulfil their potential by improving their quality of life, their economic, social and civic condition, and by making a positive impact on the lives of their families.

There is a large unmet need for immigration legal services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Violent offenders often use the lack of immigration status of the survivor as a control mechanism to keep someone in an abusive relationship. If legal counsel and representation are available locally, then the survivor may have a better chance of survival for themselves and children.

Such domestic violence and sexual assault, or DV/SA, cases are extremely time sensitive. Lack of legal representation for immigration issues perpetuates the power difference between the offender and survivor. Many immigrant survivors of violence and sexual assault live in underserved areas and lack access to competent legal representation. Survivors of human trafficking, in particular, are isolated from society and may be trapped in communities where there is very little, if any, access to legal services. Having access to advocates and attorneys who are knowledgeable about immigration legal services can determine whether they have a chance of survival. The absence of available immigration legal services isolates survivors allowing abusers to further exploit them by cutting off their ability to seek safety.

When attorneys are too few and too far to reach, the Department of Justice recognition and accreditation program authorizes non-attorneys at nonprofit, anti-domestic violence agencies to practice immigration law as “accredited representatives.” Simply put, accredited representatives can function like an attorney for a survivor’s immigration legal matters, clearing one of the major obstacles for the survivor’s safety and well-being. CLINIC is the chief nonprofit in the U.S. transforming advocates into authorized legal representatives. In that effort CLINIC:

  • works to provide protection, stability and a legal path forward for immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
  • helped over 65 anti-domestic violence nonprofit organizations with launching new immigration legal service programs in-house.
  • facilitated peer-to-peer mentorship opportunities for anti-domestic violence agency staff seeking to become authorized to practice immigration law.
  • has offered dedicated trainings for over a decade that are exclusively for non-attorney staff working at anti-domestic violence agencies. These multi-day trainings have focused on the professional needs of advocates working specifically with immigrant women and children who are survivors of violence and sexual assault.
  • trained attorney and non-attorney staff working at anti-domestic violence agencies on how to start an immigration legal services program and capacity building, substantive immigration law and ethics.
  • helped launch immigration legal services programs at anti-domestic violence organizations in two of the least populous states in the United States.

The mission of the anti-domestic violence work that CLINIC is involved in helps to increase capacity that allows newly accredited representatives to serve more immigrant survivors of violence who are isolated and living in rural communities. Often, these survivors do not have access to transportation, language access or assistance. Regularizing the status of survivors helps create healthy residents who can fulfil their potential by improving their quality of life, their economic, social and civic condition, and by making a positive impact on the lives of their families.

With your support, CLINIC can continue to provide the necessary tools, training and support for anti-domestic violence organizations to serve immigrant survivors. Donate here.