Overview

Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project’s Survivors’ Team represents men, women, and children whose U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouses or parents have inflicted violence upon them. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), these individuals can secure immigration status without the knowledge or sponsorship of the abusive spouse or parent who would normally control the immigration process.

The team also represents victims of serious crimes made eligible for special visas (U, T) through cooperation with law enforcement. Congress created these visas to ensure that crime victims could report crime without the fear of deportation and live with safety and stability. The team authors training materials, provides ongoing mentoring to volunteer attorneys, and empowers clients by connecting them to social services. The Team has also established a network of community and government stakeholders to combat notario fraud in response to the epidemic of notaries defrauding the immigrant community and partners with clients to report and prosecute fraud.