Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees

Adjustment to life in a new country can present many challenges.  The difficulties are seriously compounded when an immigrant or refugee is a victim of sexual abuse and/or domestic violence.  Communication barriers, cultural norms hostile to seeking help, fear of deportation, and economic instability are among the struggles with which immigrant and refugee survivors have to cope.  But a survivor does not have to bear the burdens alone.  There are services available and people that want to help.

Local Resources:

For emergency help, please call 911.

For counseling services, support groups, and advocacy services, please call the nearest rape crisis center (link to RCC page) or domestic violence program (link to DV page).

To speak with someone about your options, please call SafeLink at 1-877-785-2020.  SafeLink is a 24-hour, free hotline serving Massachusetts residents and programs.  It is staffed by trained advocates answering in English, Spanish, and TTY (1-877-521-2601) and has the ability to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.  An advocate is available to discuss your needs, help you identify shelters, programs, and other resources, and refer you to services for both domestic violence (link to DV page) and sexual assault (link to RCC page).

National Resources:

1) National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).  For TTY, call 1-800-787-3224.
This hotline is available 24 hours a day for crisis intervention, referrals to local agencies, and general information about domestic violence.  Trained advocates answer in Spanish, English, and TTY, and have the capacity to access translators of 139 languages.  The hotline also has a web site at www.ndvh.org.

2) National Network to End Violence against Immigrant Women (or National Network on Behalf of Battered Immigrant Women?) This is a coalition of organizations and is co-chaired by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (link), NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Immigrant Women Program (link), and National Immigration Project of the National Lawyer’s Guild (link).  The web sites of the above-mentioned programs are rich with helpful resources, information, and links.

a) Family Violence Prevention Fund www.endabuse.org/programs/immigrant/
This web site offers relevant information for battered immigrant women in search of assistance.  It includes a downloadable question-and-answer brochure in eight different languages and a “Battered Immigrant Women Toolbox”.

b) National Immigration Project of the National Lawyer’s Guild www.nationalimmigrationproject.org
This web site is especially helpful for advocates, including lawyers and counselors.  It offers a comprehensive explanation of issues surrounding the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), U Visas, self-petitioning and cancellation of removal.

c) NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Immigrant Women Program www.nowldef.org/html/issues/imm/index.shtml
This web site gives a summary of “Program Areas” and “Program Strategies” and includes contact information for representatives at the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Immigrant Women Program in Washington D.C.

3) Women's Law Initiative www.womenslaw.org/immigrants.htm
This web site offers comprehensive, general information, legal information, and links to other online resources for noncitizen women dealing with domestic violence.

4) National Immigration Law Center www.nilc.org
This web site includes information on many different immigrant issues and seems particularly helpful for legal advocates.  Notably, the “Trafficking” section provides straightforward summaries of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (link) and T and U Visas (link).

5) Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law www.centerforhumanrights.org

6) National Immigration Forum www.immigrationforum.org

7) National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights www.nnirr.org

8) Violence Against Women Office www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/regulations.htm

9) National Sexual Violence Resource Center www.nsvrc.org

10) National Coalition Against Domestic Violence www.ncadv.orf

11) Amnesty International www.amnestyusa.org, www.amnesty.org

12) Lesbian and Gay Immigrants Rights Task Force www.lgirt.org

13) National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence www.dvalianza.org

14) Global Fund for Women www.globalfundforwomen.org

15) Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org/women