Fighting violence and restoring justice: The Immigrant Women and Children Project
Written by Jami Tanner
In the United States, the legal system often fails to provide justice to those who need it most. For those lacking legal immigration status, violence and abuse can be particularly threatening. The American Bar Association has reported alarming rates of domestic violence on immigrants and the US Department of State estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. Given these alarming statistics, the US must strive to better protect these victims.
In 2013, President Barack Obama signed new extensions to the Violence Against Women Act, expanding the law’s protections to LGBTQ+ individuals, Native Americans, and undocumented immigrants. However, despite this legal victory, there are still many immigrant victims who remain unaware of the protections provided to them under federal law. Fear of prosecution and deportation often precludes well-deserved justice, inhibiting victims from seeking protections they are entitled to. Thankfully, in recent years, advocacy for these types of situations has improved, and several cities — including New York — have launched initiatives to target this growing problem.
Established in 1996, in response to the initial Violence Against Women Act, The Immigrant Women and Children Project (IWC) was formed by the New York City Bar Justice Center to assist abused spouses in gaining immigration status. Since then, the project has continued to expand, now providing free legal assistance to immigrant survivors of various crimes. The IWC works with cases of domestic violence, human trafficking, and child abuse and provides clients with the legal services to escape these atrocities.
Project Director Suzanne Tomatore is cofounder of the New York Anti-Trafficking Network, the oldest and largest network of anti-trafficking service providers in New York City. The IWC is also a member of the Freedom Network, a national alliance of human rights advocates assisting survivors of human trafficking. The City Bar Justice Center collaborates with these existing partnerships to increase the capacity of service and, ultimately, provide clients with the best outcomes possible.
“With the assistance of volunteer attorneys, we aid clients in applying for immigration status, employment authorization, and provide information about access to public benefits,” Tomatore said. “We also help our clients understand the criminal justice process and help them make reports if they have not already done so.”
The Immigrant Women and Children Project defends survivors under the current legal system, and in some cases has fought to change it. Such was the case in 2002 when the federal enactment of The Trafficking Victims Protection Act generated strong criticism over the difficult certification demands it required for victims to become qualified for assistance. In response to this, the IWC turned to state legislation. By playing a pivotal role in both the drafting and passage of the New York State Anti-Trafficking Law, the project expanded eligibility for countless victims. This advocacy extends beyond state and national borders. IWC staff meets in delegations formed by the US State Department and travels across the globe promoting international discourse and policy initiatives.
While the project focuses primarily on the struggles of immigrant women, it offers services to all genders in need of assistance. These services are entirely free to low-income individuals and, for many clients, have provided a gateway to economic stability. In most cases, legal guidance and support from service providers has transformed clients’ lives drastically. Tomatore, who has been with the project since 2001, has stayed in touch with clients over the years; the transformations have been remarkable and their impact extends through generations.
“A few years ago we had a child of a former client pass by our table at a summer law school internship event. She stopped by to thank our executive director because she was able to obtain permanent residence through the assistance of a pro bono attorney on our project along with her mother and siblings,” Tomatore said. “She shared with us that she wanted to study immigration and become a practicing lawyer so that she could help others in her community.”
The work done by The Immigrant Women and Children Project not only helps to shed light on the many struggles of immigrants, but also plays an active role in addressing these issues. To this day, the IWC has served trafficking survivors from over 50 countries and has recovered over $757,000 for clients through civil litigation and restitution. Legal advocacy and international partnerships continue to ensure further expansion of these successes. Today, the services provided by IWC continue to help survivors find empowerment and security so that they can build new lives and find hope for their futures.
