Plenary Description: For over two decades since passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 protections available to immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes in the U.S. under immigration, public benefits, and family laws have expanded dramatically. In 2017, immigrant survivors need assistance from trained victim advocates, attorneys and justice system professionals who have expertise and up-to-date information to help immigrant survivors gain access to the help legally available. This plenary will discuss safety planning and legal protections from deportation, access to legal immigration status, child custody, and public benefits for immigrant survivors and their children. The presentation will highlight best practices to counter perpetrators’ efforts to trigger the victim’s deportation and other deportation risks. Armed with knowledge about immigrant survivors’ legal rights under family, public benefits, health care, transitional housing, legal services and immigration law, advocates, lawyers, and law enforcement can provide a bridge to a fuller range of life-saving supportive services for immigrant survivors.
Language Access
- ABC’s of Language Access Advocacy https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/2015abcswebinar/
- For additional information and resources go to: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/language-access/
- Translation Requirements for Vital Documents, Intake and Notice of LEP Assistance for DOJ and HHS Grantees Serving Immigrant Crime Victims (March 9, 2014) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/translation-vital-docs
Dynamics of Domestic and Sexual Violence Experienced by Immigrant Survivors
- CH 1.1 Dynamics of Domestic Violence Experienced By Immigrant Victims (2013) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/cult-man-ch1-1-dynamicsdomesticviolence2016
- CH 1 Dynamics of Sexual Assault and the Implications for Immigrant Women (2013) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ch1-dynamics-sexual-assault-implications
- For additional information and resources go to: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/dynamics-culture-safety/
Legal Rights Brochures
- Multilingual Materials for Victims and Advocates https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/multilingual-materials-language/
- Blue Card Screening for Victims who Qualify for Immigration Protective Relief http://https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/squadcarscreeningbluecard
Immigrant Victims, Safety Planning and VAWA Confidentiality
- VAWA Confidentiality Protections for Immigrant Crime Victims in the Context of Immigration Enforcement (March 3, 2017) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/vawa-confidentiality-materials-tools/
- DHS Enforcement Priorities: Policies and Memoranda Information for State Court Judges (February 11, 2017) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/imm-qref-dhsenforcementpriorities-11-12-15
- DHS Policies and Safety Planning Flow Chart (September 6, 2012) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/immigrantvictimssafetyflowchart
- An Advocate’s Guide to Immigrant Survivors’ Rights & Protection https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/advocates-guide-rights-protections
- For additional information and resources go to: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/vawa-confidentiality/
Immigration Options for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
- DHS Infographic https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/dhs-protections1-6-links-121516
- DHS: Immigration Options for Crime Victims https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/cultural-competency/multilingual-materials-for-victims/dhs-immigration-options-for-crime-victims
- Family Court Bench Card on Immigration Rights of Battered Spouses, Children and Immigrant Crime Victims https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/judg-tkit-bchcrdvictimsimmrights10-11-13
- CH 3.3 VAWA Self-Petition (2013) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ch3-3-selfpetitionprep
- VAWA Self Petitioning Evidence Checklist (September 2011) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/evidence-checklist-vawaselfpetition
- CH 10 U-Visas: Victims of Criminal Activity (2013) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ch10-u-visas
- Immigration Protection Screening Checklist https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/fam-checklist-immprotectionscreening
- U Visa Evidence Checklist https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/imm-checklist-evidenceforuvisa
- U-Visa: “Helpfulness” Checklist https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/uvisa-helpfulness-chcklist
- U-Visa Toolkit for Law Enforcement Agencies and Prosecutors (March 2017) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/uvisatoolkit_ah-3-21-17
- U-Visa Certification Tool Kit for Federal, State and Local Judges, Commissioners, and Magistrates (February 3, 2014) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/u-visa-certification-tool-kit-federal-state-local-judges-magistrates
- Comparison Chart of U visa, T Visa, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Self-Petition, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/chart-vawa-t-u-sijs-daca
- VAWA Red Flags (July 2013) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/vawa-red-flags
- For additional information and resources go to: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/immigration/
Immigrant Victims in Family Law Cases
- Immigrants and Protection Orders Bench Card https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/bench-card-imm-protection-orders
- Family Court Bench Card on Issues That Arise in Custody Cases Involving Immigrant Parents, Children and Crime Victims https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/common-imm-issues-custody-cases
- Bench Card on Common Issues that Arise from Parties’ Immigration Status: Economic Remedies https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/imm-bchcrd-economicoptions-10-15-13-2
- 5 Breaking Barriers Battered Immigrants and Civil Protection Orders, Leslye Orloff, Cecilia Olavarria, Laura Martinez, Jennifer Rose, and Joyce Noche (2005) https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ch5-1-imm-civil-protection-orders
- For additional information and resources go to: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/family-law/
Access to Public Benefits and Services for Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
- Programs Open to Immigrant Victims and All Immigrants Without Regard to Immigration Status https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/programs-open-to-all-immigrants
- Public Benefits Bench Card https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/pb-bchcrd-pubbenefits
- U Visa Victim Benefits Eligibility Process https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/u-visa-benefits-benchcard
- VAWA Public Benefits Eligibility Process https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/vawa-eligibility-process
- Trafficking Victim Benefits Eligibility Process https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/bchcrd-trafficking-victim-benefits-eligibility-process
- Ch 16: Access To Programs And Services That Can Help Victims of Sexual Assault http://https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/ch16-programaccessforsexassaultdvvictims
- Ch 4.3 Barriers to Accessing Services: The Importance of Advocates Accompanying Battered Immigrants Applying for Public Benefits https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/public-benefits/benefits-for-qualified-immigrants/PB_BB-Accompanying_Immigrants_Applying_for_Benefits-MANUAL-BB.pdf/view
- Public Benefits Map: https://www.niwap.org/benefitsmap/
- Access to Public and Assisted Housing Information and Resources: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/public-benefits/housing/
- Access to Shelter and Transitional Housing Information and Resources: https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/topic/public-benefits/transitional-housing/