The Importance of Advocacy in Accessing Public Benefits for Immigrant Survivors

In this fifth episode on benefits and services for immigrant survivors, Director Leslye Orloff, Assistant Director Rafaela Rodrigues, NIWAP American University Washington College of Law, and Elliott Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth's Attorneys' Services Council continue their discussion, focusing on victim advocacy and how advocates and attorneys can help survivors navigate the process of applying for benefits and services that victims of domestic and sexual violence—and their children—are legally eligible to receive. They discuss the crucial role advocates and attorneys play in assisting immigrant victims with applications and identifying all the benefits and services for which victims and their children qualify. Advocacy also empowers survivors by ensuring that benefits workers receive legally accurate information about state and federal laws proving a victim’s and/or their child’s eligibility to approve applications. The discussion includes steps advocates and attorneys can take when victims’ benefits applications are wrongly denied. Advocates make a significant difference for immigrant domestic and sexual violence victims, and NIWAP highlights the importance of this role.

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